The Darker Side
by Vastulja Sata Menton
Summary: Duo is stuck in an abusive relationship with Heero, but he needs to get out. Can he manage an escape and make it out alive? 1x2. 2x5
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter One**_

It was dark, except for the thin line of light streaming in from beneath the door across from him. Violet eyes watched shadows creep through as bodies passed by the door sporadically. Fear filled him as he waited for the inevitable. He was in a large linen closet hiding. He knew he could not stay there much longer as he would eventually be found, but dare he venture out and find a new hiding spot? He watched for what seemed like an eternity after the last shadow streamed through. The coast should most definitely be clear by now. The brunette slowly stood up and grasped the handle of the door tentatively. He slowly turned the knob taking care to be extra quiet. Peeking out he saw all was safe and he quickly closed the door before scampering down the hall. Before he could get to the doorway of his room, the door to the bathroom behind him slammed open. He froze, eyes wide in fear and anxiety. He did not dare look back. He could almost feel cobalt blue eyes burning a hole into his back.

"Duo!" The bark of his name caused him to flinch. He stood stock still, his heart racing in his tight chest. Footsteps pounded behind him as he was approached. A cold hand wrapped around the back of his neck and he shivered as the stench of alcohol invaded his nostrils. "Where do you think you are going?" the whisper grazed across his ears.  
He swallowed hard before croaking out, "The bedroom, Heero. To rest." It was a lie, but it was always a life.

"I know you were hiding, and I know you are lying," Heero hissed, tightening his grip on the other mans neck. Duo flinched in pain but said nothing. Heero pushed him down the hall by the neck in silence. At the threshold of the bedroom door Heero pushed him into the room making him stumble and nearly fall. He was silent about it all, but he was filled with intense fear of what he knew was to come.

Duo stood upright, regaining his balance and facing the wall, staring at it blankly. He knew that now he had been found there was no point in resisting anything that was about to happen. If he did, Heero would just make it all worse. Heero stalked over to him and grabbing his arm, he spun the other man around to face him. Angry drunk blue eyes bore into fearful anxious eyes. Heero reached around Duo and grabbed him by his braid and yanked down swiftly forcing him to fall to his knees.

A lump formed in Duo's throat and his eyes stung as tears threatened to surface, but he refused to cry. He refused to show that weakness, and boys do not cry. Duo stared at the carpet between him and Heero as the other man unzipped his jeans and pulled his erection out. He grabbed the back of Duo's head, forcing him to look up and forced his member into Duo's mouth. The violet eyed man fought against his gag reflex as Heero thrust with force into his mouth.

"Suck it," Heero growled, tightening his fingers around Duo's hair painfully. He complied, wanting it all to end. Heero tilted his head back in pleasure, enjoying the feel of the other mans mouth around him. He thrust roughly into Duo's mouth a few times before pulling out and throwing him to the floor. Duo held back a yelp of pain that bloomed as his face came into contact with the floor. Heero grabbed him by the braid that trailed down his back and pulled him off the carpeted floor, pushing him onto the bed. Duo's faced pressed into the soft comforter as his pants and boxers were swiftly pulled down to expose his rear end. Heero pumped his cock a few times before parting Duo's cheeks and spitting on the puckered hole that was exposed. Duo clenched onto the bed cover and buried his face further trying to relax and prepare himself for what was to come, but without any real prep or lube, it wasn't good enough. Without warning, Heero thrust into the other mans unprepared ass, a moan escaping past his lips. Duo bit back a cry of pain and tears began to flow freely despite his best efforts to keep them at bay. Heero pounded into him relentlessly as Duo fought to contain the screams that threatened to fill the room with every thrust.

Duo lost track of time, but thankfully Heero came to climax and released himself inside of the other man. Duo whimpered as Heero pulled out and left him to clean himself up. It was a long time before Duo pulled himself up and made his way to the bathroom. Heero had left the room, no doubt to continue drinking. The brunette cleaned himself up, feeling used. It was the same every day. And he had hoped that with them visiting Quatre in his massive mansion something might be different. Maybe Heero would not get shit faced drunk and treat him like shit. It had not always been that way. When they first got together Heero had been kind, as kind as a perfect soldier with no emotions could possibly be. Duo had truly believed that Heero loved him, and that there was passion in their relationship, but they had been together for over two years and after the first year things had changed. He was not sure what made Heero start drinking, and it was to the point that it did not matter. Duo realized that it would never change, and he had to do something about it, but even though he had thought about leaving for months, there was a fear deeply imbedded inside him. Fear of the perfect soldier. Fear in his ability to track people down and take them out without anyone ever knowing they even existed. He would not stay any longer though, he had to do something to get away. Even if it meant risking his life.

Duo left the bathroom, thoughts of leaving swirling around in his head. He had to do it and he could not look back after he did, but how could he get away from Heero? He was always around, always watching. Maybe he would get a lucky break. He would have to see if he could borrow some stuff from Quatra to make his escape. Yes, that was it. He could get help from Quatre to get away. He would just have to make a break for it when opportunity showed is face. He laid down on the bed, curling in on himself. It took him far too long to fall asleep, but when he finally did he had thoughts of escape in his mind.

xxxx

Light streamed though the expensive curtains, dancing across Duo's face. He groaned and turned over as it fell upon his eyes, beckoning him awake. Try as he may, he could not fight against the light and he sat up. Groggy from not getting a proper nights sleep, he rubbed his eyes before climbing out of the bed. He made his way to the closet that held his suit case that he had not made time to unpack. This he was grateful for because it meant he would not have to repack his things when he tried to make his escape, and if anyone asked why he was living out of his suit case he could just say he was too lazy to put it away. He picked out a pair of slightly baggy cargo pants that fit him snuggly around the waist, a tight black t-shirt and a pair of black socks. He dressed quickly, wanting to get around to his plan as soon as possible. Before he left the room, he looked around to make sure that he would not need to grab anything when he made his dash and slipped his shoes on. All he would really need to do is grab his suit case and bolt. He nodded to himself in reassurance that it would work and all was ready. With a new found confidence that surprised even him as he had no idea where it came from, he made his way down to the kitchen to get some breakfast. All the way down he prayed he did not run into Heero. He did not want to loose his nerve and the thought of Heero beating the shit out of him almost made him loose it right then.

As he entered the kitchen he noticed Quatre making himself breakfast. He was not too surprised to see this despite the fact that he had many servants to do that for him. The blond looked up as Duo walked past him.

"Good morning Duo!" Quatre chimed with a sweet smile on his face. "Did you sleep well?"

"Good morning Quat. Yeah, I guess I slept okay. What's for breakfast?" Duo tried to stear the conversation away from his horrible night. He did not want to think about it. He just wanted to think of a way to get out and to convince his friend to help him without giving him too much information.

"Oh! Im making some eggs. There is enough for the two of us, if you would like some."

"Yeah sure. Thanks. How come you aren't making more though?" Duo inquired as he sad down at the kitchen island.

"Oh. Trowa and Heero left early to do some boating. The weather is perfect for it today." Quatre continued to cook the eggs, completely unaware of the wide eyed expression on Duo's face.

This was it. This was his chance to get away. Nothing else mattered, not even the breakfast he would be getting in a few moments. He couldn't wait a moment longer. He sprang up and rushed to Quatre's side. The other man had just finished the eggs and turned the burner on the stove off. It was a good thing too because Duo grabbed him by the shoulders and spun him around. A look of shock spread across his face.

"Quatre!"

"Duo? What's wrong?"

"I need your help. You have to help me. Please tell me you'll help me!" Duo pleaded, slightly shaking his friend.

"Oh my gosh Duo! What is it? Yes I will help you. Whatever you need I'm always here for you!" Quatre exclaimed, unsettled by the sudden outburst.

Duo took a deep break, and closed his eyes for a moment. He was gathering all of his courage inside. He had his chance, he finally had his chance, and he knew exactly what he had to do. "I need the fastest car that you have."

"O-okay. I can do that. But why?"

"I...I cant tell you right now Quatre. But I will someday. I just need to get away as fast as I can. And you can't tell anyone that I'm gone or what I took or where I might be going. Because I just have to get as far away as fast as I can." Duo pleaded, a look of desperation on his face. There was a moment of silence between the two, as Quatre processed the little amount of information he was given. He nodded to his friend, setting the spatula in his hand down. Duo dropped his hands and sighed in relief.

"Ok, I trust you Duo, and if you need to go, then I can make it happen. Meet me in the garage with your things and we will get you on your way." There was a hint of sadness in Quatre's voice and his face but Duo smiled and hugged his friend.

"Thanks Quat. I owe you." He turned and dashed away to grab his things. As he was upstairs grabbing his suitcase he thought through his plan once more. He would go to see Hilde first. She had a cabin in the woods that she kept off the record. It had originally intended to be a safe house, but they never ended up needing it, and she was the only one who knew where it was. So he was sure that he would be safe. He would go there and hole up for awhile, until he was sure it was safe to leave again. If that ever happened. He was not sure what would happen from there but he was good at thinking on his feet. He could figure it out.

He made his way to the garage quickly, filled with excitement and anticipation for what was to come. He found Quatre standing by an amazing car. It was beautiful, sleek and black with an impressive spoiler. He made his way over. "Wow, this is amazing Quatre."

The blond smiled. "Yeah. It's one of my favorites. It's a Bugatti Veron. Cost quite a bit, but its the fastest car I have. Here are the keys." Quatre handed the keys over to Duo. "Be careful Duo. This is a really fast car, and if you are trying to get away fast you don't want to get pulled over."

"Don't worry," Duo smiled. "I'll be safe and stay under the radar." He took the keys before giving his friend a hug. "Thank you so much Quatre. You have no idea how much this means to me. And I promise, when the time is right I'll tell you everything that's going on."

"I'll be holding you to that promise. So don't forget." Quatre let his friend go and stepped back to let him get into the car. Duo opened the drivers side door and climbed in. He set his suit case into the passenger side seat and closed the door and started it up. It purred to life. He took a deep breath, knowing this was his final chance. If he did not go now he never would. He shifted the car into gear and pulled out of the open garage. He didn't look back at his friend, but if he had he would have seen the deep concern in Quatre's face.

The blond watched as his friend drove off down the long driveway. He had no idea what was going on, or why Duo needed to get away so fast, but he hoped that his friend would be safe.

_End Chapter_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter Two**_

Duo drove on for hours. He only stopped to use the rest room, fuel up and to grab some food for lunch. He made sure to pay with only cash so he could not be tracked. And he had thrown his cell phone out the car window soon after he left Quatre's mansion. He could not risk Heero hacking into some system and finding out what direction he was headed. Though to be honest, if anyone thought on it long enough they would know that the only other person he would go to other than Quatre would be Hildie. They had been friends for so many more years and he would even be willing to call her his best friend. After he had driven for almost 12 hours, excitement filled him as he drove into Twin Falls Idaho. He was about halfway to his destination. He wondered if he should pull over and find a motel for a night. If he did not he still had another 12 hours of driving. It would be very careless of him to continue driving to be honest, and he told Quatre that he would be careful, but if he stopped, that would give Heero time to catch up with him.

He pulled into a Holiday Inn, deciding it would be best for him to get some rest. When he thought of it logically there was no way that Heero could track him. The other man had no idea where Duo was going, and there was also hope that Quatre came up with a good cover story and no one would be suspicious of his absence until the morning. Yes, it would be ok. He would just rest up a bit.

Duo paid for the room in cash, ever weary of leaving an electronic trail that Heero might be able to follow later on. It was 8 at night and he was exhausted from all of the driving. He was grateful when he walked into the room and saw the queen sized bed made neatly, ready for him to fall on it and sleep. That was exactly what he did.

xxxx

Duo woke the next morning feeling better than he had the morning before. For one he had not been abused and used like he had before. He was also filled with a small sense of freedom that he had gained within the past 24 hours, but his stomach was telling him that freedom was not all that he needed to survive. He was much in need of some food, and thankfully the motel served a continental breakfast. He used the bathroom and bushed his teeth before making his way down to get some food.

As he had his bacon, mixed fruit and pancakes he though about what his day would be like. He had another almost 12 drive, though if he drove a little faster he could make it in less time, but he would have to be careful. The car could go fast, but that did not mean he had to go as fast as he could down the highway. He could speed up though, and get away with it and get to his destination in only 8 hours. Yes he would have to do that. Time was of the essence now that it was daybreak. He quickly finished his breakfast up, eager to get out and on the road again. He gathered his things when he got into his room and used the television to check out as it was offered to all the guests. He quickly went to the car, praying to whatever God there was that it was still there. Not to say that the area he was in was bad, but it was a damn nice car and who would not take a chance to snag that if they could? It was still where he had parked it the night before. Relief washed over him and he got into the car, placing his suit case in the passenger side seat as he had before. He started the car and it purred to life again. It was so quiet, yet so powerful at the same time. It surprised him, but he did not have time to marvel at the beautify of the car. He had to get on his way.

He was back on the highway in no time and gathering speed. He soon hit 90 and thankfully there were not many cars out yet. He would have to maintain the speed but keep an eye out for cops. He was way over the speed limit but he had to get where he was going as fast as he could. Again, he only stopped to use the restroom, get fuel and eat lunch. It only took him 9 hours with breaks and soon he was pulling off the highway and into the quaint mountain town of Salida Colorodo. He had driven over one thousand miles and he was finally in the town he needed to be. Now he just had to find Hildie's mechanics shop. He had a vague idea of where it was as she had once said she was in the heart of the beautiful city. The streets were clean and bustling with the people heading out for dinner in the heart of the city. As he drove slowly down the street he saw the mountain rising from the horizon. It was a beautiful site and he understood why Hildie had chosen this place to settle down after the war.  
He was able to find the shop in question easily as it was the only mechanics shop on the strip. He pulled into the parking log and looked through the large front windows of the building. He could see a worker helping a customer but he could not see Hildie. He hoped that she was there because he did not know her home address. He got out of the car, making sure to lock it before heading into the shop. When he walked in it smelled of oil and grease. He relished in the smell, taken back to the times of the war when he would work on DeathScythe. He missed working on his machine as well as other things, but he could not dwell on the past, he had to look forward to his future and his great escape. He looked around. The front of the store was small with a handful of seats and a few stands with small car parts on display for sale. The bulk of the store was behind the long counter that stretched almost the entire width of the front of the building. Behind the worker stood shelves upon shelves of custom and manufacture car parts. This was mostly a specialty store for high end cars but someone looking for an ordinary set of breaks for their ford could come and be serviced as well. Duo missed all of this, and he also missed his friend. Whom he could not see. He waited for the couple in front of him to finish purchasing their parts before he stepped up to the counter.

"Good evening sir. What can I help you with tonight?" The young man behind the counter inquired. He did not look older than 19 and Duo wondered just how much he knew about any of this. Then again, he was fixing up cars and stealing them when he was only 16.

"Hi, yes. I am looking for the owner Hildie Schbeikera. I was wondering if I could speak with her?" He asked, hoping she was there.

"Oh yes! She is just in the back. Let me get her for you." The young man made his way back through the shelves and disappeared as he turned a corner. The wait was not long and as the two walked out of the office they were discussing some unknown matter. Hildie was dressed in scruffy jeans and a blue t-shirt. She looked like she belonged in the shop. Duo waited for the woman to notice him. He had not seen her in over 2 years, and he could not fight the huge grin that was plastered on his face.  
She started to speak right before she made it to the counter. "How can i help you si-" She stopped short, having turned her head as she attempted to ask the question, but it fell short as her eyes met with Duo's. There was a moment, a pause as she seemed to process the fact that her friend was standing before her. "OH MY GOD! DUO!" She screeched and launched her self over the counter and took him into her arms in a squeezing embrace.

"Hi Hild. I missed you too." He hugged her back, missing her just as much but due to the circumstances he was able to contain his joy. He had other things on his mind.

She pulled away, keeping him in arms reach and looked him over. He knew she would find things different but he tried not to think about it. "You look thinner then when I last saw you. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything is fine. Listen Hild, can we talk somewhere private?" He wanted to get back on the road and he did not have time to bask in the reunion.

Hildie looked around. "Yeah we can go to my office." She turned to the young man still standing behind the counter. "Trevor lock up for the night. Go ahead and start stocking the new items please."

"Can do." He smiled and headed around the counter the proper way to lock the store up.

Hildie took Duo's hand and lead him to the back where he office was. They walked past all the car parts and to a small room in the back of the shop. It had a small desk with a computer on it, a chair for the person behind the desk and one chair in front. A filing cabinet sat in the corner of the room behind the desk and that was all that adorned the room. It was simple but practical. Hildie motioned for Duo to sit in the chair in front of the desk before she grabbed the other chair and moved it so that they were sitting almost knee to knee in the small room.

"Wow Duo. Its been over two years. I can't believe you're just suddenly here." The young woman smiled, clearly excited to see him again.

A small smile graced his lips. "Yeah, it has been a long time and to be completely honest I'm shocked that I'm here too." He scratched the back of his head, the smile growing a little smaller. He had to admit it was nice seeing her, but he had to get down to business. "Listen Hild. I have a favor I need to ask of you."

"Yeah sure, shoot."

He sighed. He hated just coming here, asking for something, and then leaving, but this was the last hope that he had. She just had to have what he was looking for. "Okay, do you remember that safe house that you were holding onto during the war?" Hildie nodded. "You never told anyone else about it did you? Accept me?"

"No. I never told anyone. Why?" There was a sense of concern creeping up on her face. What was this all about?

"And you still haven't told anyone about it?" The women shook her head indicating she hadn't told a single soul. "Awesome. I need you to tell me where it is."

There was silence. The gears in Hildie's head were going into over drive as she tried to contemplate why Duo would need such information more than 2 years after the war had ended, and why did it matter that no one else knew about it. Of course it was still there and of course she had kept it a secret all these years. No one ever knew if a war would ever break out and the pilots would be needed again, but why would Duo need it now in a time of peace. The only way to find out was to ask. "Can I ask why you need to know Duo? Well, you know why its so important it stay secret."

"Listen Hild, a lot of stuff is going on in my life right now and to be honest I don't have time to explain it all right now. I have to find out where this place is and get out of here as quick as I can. So can you please help me?" A look of desperation filled his features. He took her hands and squeezed them, as if to reiterate his point.

"Whatever is happening, I want to go with you Duo. You can tell me on the way and I can take us to the safe house." She insisted suddenly.

He closed his eyes and shook his head. "No, Hildie. I don't want you to get pulled into this."

"Duo, you're like my brother. I will not let you do this alone. You're going to take me with you!" She demanded, a stern look on her face.

"What about your store Hildie? Who will take care of it? Plus I don't know how long I will be gone. You can't come with me."

"Taylor can run the store while I am gone, and I have a few other people who work here. With him running it everything will be fine." She smiled, proud of herself for coming up with the idea.

"That kid can't be older than 19. Do you really trust him to take care of this store for an extended period of time?" Duo looked skeptical. He was doing his best to keep her from going with him. He did not want her to get hurt. He would never forgive himself if she did.

"Taylor is 21. And I've been training him as my assistant. He knows how to do everything to keep this store running if I want to go on vacation or do something else. I'm not worried about it, and you shouldn't be either. What I'm worried about is you and why you would need the safe house so suddenly. In fact, I wont tell you where the safe house is unless you take me with you." She put her foot down, her brows coming together in determination.  
Duo sighed. There was no way of getting around it. He would have to take her, and she would want to know everything, but to get away from the horrible hell he had been living it was a small price to pay. She was right after all. They were like siblings, and he could tell her everything. So it could not be that hard to tell her what had been happening to cause him to do all of this. He finally nodded his head in agreement. He was afraid he might regret this decision, but he had to get going. It was getting late and he needed to get back on the road.

Hildie smiled and squeezed his hands. "Okay its settled then. I will leave the store in Taylor's hands and we can head out. I just have to run upstairs and grab a few things from my place and we can head out."

Duo hadn't even thought about the second story to the building, but thinking back he recalled seeing it before he pulled into the parking lot. Of course Hildie would live so close to her passion. He nodded his head as she let go of his hands to go talk to Taylor and grab her things. He stood after she left, a feeling of dread filling him. Thoughts of what could happen filled his head as he walked back out to the front of the store. He really didn't like this idea, but he was stuck with no choice at this point. He would have to go along with it to get what he wanted. He sat down in one of the chairs that lined the large front windows and waited for Hildie. It wasn't long before she was coming from behind the counter with a duffel back slung over her shoulder and a large grin on her face.

"Okay! Lets get going!" She beemed. She had changed into a pair of nicer looking jeans and clean green t-shirt. Duo stood and lead the way out to Quatre's car. As they approached it Hildie whistled at it. "Wow! This is an amazing car Duo! Looks like a Bugatti. A W16 engine with quad turbocharge. This is an amazing car, but its mpg isn't that great. But its crazy fast with a top speed of 253 miles per hour. Its expensive to. I hear its going for over 1.7 million. Where did you get this car Duo?"

Duo smiled sheepishly. "Borrowing it from Quatre. I asked for a fast car and he gave me the fastest one he had."

"Wow talk about putting trust in a friend. This has got to be one of his most expensive cars. Its one of the fastest cars in the world Duo!" She exclaimed, her excitement evident as she looked around the car touching it tentatively.

"Well, lets get going. Are you going to tell me where I am going before we leave?" He inquired, keys in hand. He hit the key fab to unlock the door and let her into the passenger side.

"Actually, I was wondering if I could drive. It's kind of hard to get there, and if you want to get to the safe house I want to take back roads to get there. Safer that way."  
Duo hesitated. She was right. The back roads was the best way to get to any safe house. It was harder for someone to follow you, but at the same time the back roads would take longer, and he was in a hurry to get as far away as fast as possible. Then again, on back roads you could speed as much as you wanted because there were fewer cops. He nodded and handed her the keys before making his way around to the passenger side. He opened the door and moved his suitcase into the small backseat. Hildie climbed into the drivers seat and tossed her bag back with Duo's. She smiled at him and started the car up. She had a huge grin on her face. She was clearly excited to be driving such an amazing car.

"I've always wanted to drive a Bugatti. This is going to be fun." She grinned from ear to ear.

Duo looked at her skeptically. "Just don't get us killed, okay?"

Hildie looked at him in mock horror. "ME?! Nonsense, I'm the best driver around these parts."

Duo rolled his eyes and looked out the window. "Then we should get away from this town as fast as possible."  
Hildie laughed and pulled out of the parking lot into the evening traffic. They were on their way, and Duo was relived that they would be getting to somewhere safe soon, hopefully. He had no idea where they were going or how long it would take, but he had faith in his friend that they would get there quickly and safe.

_**End Chapter**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Three**_

Duo had dozed off as Hildie drove, but his rest was far from peacful as dreams of Heero finding him and beating him kept haunting him. He jumped awake from a particularly bad dream and found that it was dusk out. How long had he been asleep? It could not have been long. His stomach growled at him and he felt the pang of hunger. He had not eaten anything since lunch and he was starving. He looked over at Hildie. She was focused on the road a glint of excitement still in her eyes. She was still euphoric to be driving the car. It made Duo smile a little. As she was watching her drive, she looked over to check on him. They smiled at each other.

"Welcome back to reality."

"Thanks. How far are we?" He inquired, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He was really hungry and was hoping they would find some place to stop soon.

"Well, to be honest we have only been going for a few hours, and by highway the way there is twenty hours. So it might take us a few extra hours if we can ever get on some back roads. I'm thinking we will get there late tomorrow night if we keep going." She was focused on the road. Hildie had been forced to take the highway due to all the mountains and they still weren't onto any back roads.

"We should take turns driving so you can get some rest. And I'm starving is there anywhere close we can stop at and get something to eat?" Duo tried to ignore the growl from his stomach.

"Well we will have to work something out because you don't know the way. Maybe while you drive we can stay on the highway and I can actually tell you where we are going. As for food we are coming up on Colorado Springs in a minute and they should have a fast food restaurant or diner open. Sound good?" She glanced at him before looking back to the road.

"Sure sounds great. So where exactly are we going?" Duo watched cars on the other side of the highway. There were more than he expected, but then again it was not very late out.

"The safe house is located just outside of Athens Ohio. Its in a forested area and quite difficult to get to. We should be safe there." She glanced at him again. "So, when are you going to tell me what this is all about?"

Duo looked away and out his window at the city that they were passing through. He really did not want to talk about it right then. All he wanted to do was get something to eat and then maybe he would be ready to talk about it. He could tell they had already hit Colorado Springs and he was eager to get some food. "Listen, can we get something to eat first? I'm starving."

"We can do that. There is a restaurant at the next exit. We can eat and stretch our legs." She nodded and headed towards the exit that would lead to some food.

They ate in silence. They had chosen to go easy and cheap with some McDonald's. They sat inside the restaurant and Duo observed all the people around him. Happy couples and families. People on their laptops and old friends catching up. Their worlds were so happy, and his was so chaotic. He wished he could just meld into a life like theirs. Where there was not pain, but he knew that what he saw was only on the surface of society. What happened behind closed doors rarely showed through. He knew that personally because he had done an amazing job for the past year hiding what happened behind closed doors with Heero. Duo wished he did not have to hide from anything. He wished that he did not have to be afraid, but he had made the mistake of getting into a relationship with the crazy perfect soldier. Now his life was a mess. Here he was in some city he had never been in with a friend he hadn't seen in years trying to get away from the person he thought he had loved and he thought loved him. He was thousands of miles away from his home and for the first time in over a year he was a little happier. He smiled a little and looked at Hildie. They had both finished eating.

"Well, are you ready to go?" Hildie asked before taking a drink of her soda.

"Yeah, we should get going. Do I get to drive now?"

"Yup, and you can tell me about everything that is going on." She smiled and finished her soda. She grabbed their tray and took it to the trash as Duo stood and pulled his jacket on. They walked out of the restaurant, Duo following Hildie. When they got to the car Hildie tossed him the keys and made her way to the passenger side, waiting for him to unlock the car. He unlocked it and they climbed in. Duo started the engine and looked at Hildie. She had told him the city they were going to, but he was still unfamiliar of the way there. "Oh, right you need to know which way to go. Okay we need to get back on the highway. You're gonna want to follow US-24 East. I'll give you directions from there.

Duo pulled out and headed towards the highway, following the directions that Hildie gave to him. Once he was on the highway and heading in the right direction he relaxed a bit. He did not want them to get lost, but he did not want to make Hildie drive the entire way there either. Just as he was relaxing, Hildie decided it was a good idea to poke and prod.

"So what's going on Duo? Why have you driven all this way from Oregon to ask me about a safe house and then want to drive all the way there?"

Duo sighed, keeping his eyes on the road. It was now or never. He would have to tell her everything. "Okay, but it's a long story."

"Well I'm not going anywhere obviously. Spit it out!" She pushed.

"Okay, here goes. Heero and I started dating a little over 2 years ago and it was perfectly fine at the beginning. He was a great guy, when it came to Heero that is, and it seemed like he cared about me and loved me. Well he loved me in his way. It was hard because of everything that happened. Anyway, everything was great for about the first year. But then something happened, and to be honest I'm not sure what it was, but Heero started to drink a lot and he would get out of control at home. When he was really drunk, which was almost every night, he would hit me a lot and then fuck me and leave me. It was like he didn't give a shit anymore, but during the day when he wasn't drinking he would be nice to me and care about me. It was confusing, and the way he acted during the day was the reason I stayed with him. Because I believed that he still loved me somewhere deep inside despite all the bad things that he did to me. We didn't do a lot of things once he started to drink. He worked and I worked but we didn't go out and do anything or visit anyone. It took a lot of pushing from Quatre to get us out to his place even though he really doesn't live that far from us. We took a week vacation each from work and went over to his place. We arrived a few days ago, and honestly I thought that this vacation was what Heero needed. He could clear his head and he wouldn't need to drink and he wouldn't beat the crap out of me anymore. But the other night..."

Duo paused as he remembered the other night when Heero had found him and fucked him. He shivered. There was never any passion anymore, just a forced fuck and he was gone. "The other night he did what he always did. I mean, he didn't beat the shit out of me like he does at home but he was drunk and rough and forced himself onto me. And I love him but I cant do it anymore. I realized that nothing would change and I had to get away from him. Because if I didn't I might not make it out alive one of these times. And I don't want to live that life anymore. But Heero scares the shit out of me. There is a good reason I haven't left him up until now. I mean I've wanted to but I never had the chance. Until now, and I need to get away from him as fast as I can and as far as I can. I'm afraid of what he might do to me if he finds me." Duo glanced at Hildie as he ended before looking at the road. He could not read the expression on her face as it had gotten too dark to see much of anything accept the road. There was a very long silence.

"Wow, Duo, that's so much to take in. I can't believe you've been going through this. Why didn't you come and see me or call me in all this time? I could have helped you before now." Hildie put her hand on his leg and rubbed it reassuringly.

Duo shook his head. "If I could have I would have Hildie, but there is no way he would have let it happen. He's the perfect soldier. When he wasn't drunk and wasn't working he was keeping track of my expenses and phone calls and crazy shit like that. There was no way I was going to get out. Until now anyway."

There was more silence. Hildie was not sure what to say anymore. The awkward silence lingered between the two of them. She took her hand away from his leg and placed it in her lap with the other hand. She watched the road as Duo drove on. She soon dozed off.

Duo drove in silence as Hildie slept. He was making good time and in just a few short hours he was coming upon the small city of Wakeeney Kansas. He needed a bathroom break and a chance to stretch his legs. So he pulled off the highway and into a gas station. He needed to fill up anyway. It was a little after midnight and Duo was happy with the time they were making. He would let Hildie sleep a little more before he woke her and asked to switch so he could sleep a bit to. He filled the car up with gas and headed inside to use the restroom, grab a snack and drink and pay. When he got back to the car with his items he noticed that Hildie was waking. He climbed in and set his drink in the cup holder and his snack on the dashboard.

"Welcome back to reality sleepy head." He smiled and started the car but waited a moment. He wanted to give Hildie a chance to do anything she needed to do before they left. "Do you want to use the bathroom before we head off again?"

Hildie looked around and realized they were at a gas station. "Yeah actually that would be great. Dont leave without me!" She glared at him and hopped out to use the restroom and get herself something to munch on as well. When she returned Duo was chewing on a beef jerky stick waiting for her. Duo took a drink of his soda and set his snack down. As Hildie buckled herself in he drove off towards the highway again. They still had a long way to go. "Do you want me to drive for awhile?" She inquired, digging into her bag of chips.

"No I got this. I've been following the directions you gave me to this point, but I need to you keep me updated on where I need to go." Duo laughed. Wow, he had not laughed in ages. He was finally relaxing. It felt almost like he was going on a road trip, but he still knew what was at stake, how important it was to get to the safe house as fast as possible.

"Well you got through the hard part. From here until Columbus Ohio you're going to keep on I-70 East. We can switch whenever you want."

"What happened to taking back roads?" Duo inquired, truly wondering why they were staying on the highway. Not that it mattered. He was sure they were safe and would not be followed.

Hildie shrugged. "I'm sure we will be fine with the highway up until we have to get off and head to the safe house. There are a plenty of back roads around that area anyway so we should be okay." Duo nodded and continued to drive. He would let Hildie rest some more and give her the reigns in a few hours.

xxxx

The two friends were almost through Kansas when they decided to take a short break and switch seats in Topeka. From there Hildie drove to Indianapolis. During the 7 hours that she drove, Duo slept and they took stops to get gas, use the restroom and get something for breakfast. She could feel Duo's eagerness to get to their destination so she did not dare bring up the idea of stopping at a motel to rest up a bit. They would just have to keep driving and taking turns. Once in Indianapolis they switched again. Hildie was in need of a break and Duo was happy to relieve her. They were getting so much closer to where they needed to go and there was only a few hours of driving left.

When they arrived in Columbus Ohio they decided to take an extended break to grab lunch and get some provisions for the safe house. It had been years since Hildie had found and bought the property and she knew that they would need some food to last a few days. The food that was there was non-perishable, but even that food could not last that long. They gathered enough food to last a few days, deciding it would be best to travel into the city once they were in need of more. They were both excited. Duo was filled with an even stronger sense of freedom and Hildie was excited to be spending time with Duo and helping him. Since the roads to the safe house would be confusing, Hildie took over driving for the remainder of the trip.

Duo sat in the passenger seat, watching the road eagerly. They were so close and he could feel it. He was ready to get out of the car he had been driving and riding in for days. He wanted to sleep in a soft bed and get clean. He couldn't wait to get to the safe house. Hildie had told him as they drove that the safe-house was out in a patch of wooded area in the Zaleski State Forest. They would have to pull off onto a trail and park the car before hiking it the rest of the way. The hike from the car would not be far though and they would be in a cabin that was completely surrounded by trees. They could stay there as long as they needed. She informed him, however, that there was no electricity or running water. That was perfectly fine with Duo. He could rough it for awhile until things settled down.

Before Duo knew it, they had arrived at the destination. The forest was dense and beautiful. The hike up to the house took less than twenty minutes and they were able to carry their items and food with ease. Duo took a deep break of the fresh earthy air and exhaled. He finally felt a little safe. Though a thought kept nagging him in the back of his mind. He pushed it off to think about later when they were settled and he was clean. Hildie hadn't lied about the lack of running water. There was an outhouse out back and a well out front to gather water for bathing and food preparation. Hildie had made sure to not buy items that required refrigeration as there wasn't one. They was a very old gas stove that was usable for cooking food and heating water. The gas tank beside the house was small though, and there was no guarantee that it still had any propane in it. Thankfully there was a fireplace just in case they needed to use an open fire instead.

Hildie unlocked the door and lead Duo inside. To the right was the living room area and fireplace. It had minimal furnishings with just a chair and love seat. To the left was the dining area and small kitchen, or what might be called a kitchen. There was a small table with a few chairs tucked under it. The kitchen had a short counter with the small stove beside it. There was a sink with no spicket meant for washing dishes and cleaning foods. Both the kitchen and the living area were one large room. There was a hallway across from the entry way that lead to three bedrooms and a bathroom. The two brought the food to the kitchen area to put away in the cabinets.

"Do you want to put away the food and I'll take our bags to the rooms?" Hildie offered as she put the grocery bags down.

"Sure." Duo smiled, happy to finally be somewhere he can settle into for awhile. At least he hoped that they could stay there for awhile. He was not sure if Hildie realized just how long he wanted to stay there, away from other people. He needed time away, and he was glad that Heero was thousands of miles away. At least, he hoped that he was. The worry that he had been pushing away the entire trip started to blossom inside of him. What if Heero found him? What would he do to him? What if he hadn't been as good at staying off the grid as he thought he had been. It had been a long drive after all and he had been gone for three days now. What was Heero doing right now? Was he freaking out? Had he drilled Quatre for answers? Had Quatre kept his secret? Was Heero looking for him right now? Where would he look though? Surely a soldier as good as him could find a way to track him. Maybe he wasn't safe after all. Maybe it was a bad idea to come out to a secluded place where no one could help him. Maybe he should have gotten a plane ticket and gone over seas, but would he even be safe there? Maybe he should have flown up to one of the colonies and hid there. But maybe it did not matter where he went! Maybe no matter what he did he would never be safe!

All the thinking going on Duo's head had distracted him from the task at hand. Worry filled his features and he was tense as he held a can of fruit that he had started to put away. He did not notice Hildie come up behind him until she placed a hand on his shoulder. He jumped and yelped at the surprising contact. His head was so full of worry, the prospect of Heero being there scared him to the point of jumping away from his friend's gentle touch. He clutched his hand to his chest, panting from being startled.

"Whoa, relax Duo. It's just me. I finished putting our bags away. Do you need help putting this stuff away?" Hildie asked, concern in her eyes.

Duo shook his head slightly to clear it the best he could. He looked at his friend and sighed. This was going to be harder then he thought. He nodded his head to accept her help and together they put the food away. When they were finished Duo went and sad down in the living area. He couldn't stop worrying about Heero finding him. He was sure it was going to happen. It was just a matter of time. Duo started at the wall, over thinking his situation. He hadn't even realized how late it had gotten and that they had not had dinner yet, but it did not matter to him. He could not think of anything else but his fears.

"Okay, I can tell that there is definitely something wrong here. What is up with you Duo? You were fine until we got here. Now you seem freaked out." Hildie broke him from his thoughts. She was sitting across from him on the love seat watching him intently. Dare he tell her what was going on in his head? He had already told her the worst part of everything happening, he might as well be honest about how he felt.

He sighed before admitting, "I'm worried. I'm worried he might find us, that he can track us here. I'm worried of what will happen to us when he does find us. I'm scared because I dragged you into this mess and you will end up getting hurt because of me. I cant stop wondering if this was the right place to go."

"Duo, we will be fine. There is no way he can trace us. We payed cash for everything, there are no computers here. We are safe. Don't worry about it. We can stay here for a bit and ride it all out, and then we can head back to my place. Sound cool?" Hildie reassured. Duo nodded, but he was still worried. It wasn't enough. He was still afraid of Heero and the possibilities.

The rest of the night passed in a blur to him. Hildie made them something to eat as he gathered wood to make a fire for the night. They ate in front of the blazing fire place. Every movement he made was automatic. He didnt think of what he was doing, he was only thinking the horrible thoughts that had wormed their way into his head when he first arrived. Before he knew it the sun had set and Hildie was yawning. Was he tired too? He wasn't sure. He was only sure that he was afraid to go to sleep. Afraid that something might happen to one of them as they slept. Afraid that Heero might show up and beat the living shit out him.

"DUO!" Hildie shouted, finally getting his attention. "I've been trying to get your attention for like five minutes."

Duo blinked, having been suddenly pulled from this thoughts. "Sorry, I was thinking."

"About what? I hope you're still not worried Duo. You don't need to worry about anything anymore. Everything will be fine. Trust me." She sat down on the floor at his feet and took his hand to reassure him once more.

Duo looked away into the fire place and stared at the flames. "You say that Hildie, but what if he does find us? What then? If he finds us he's going to beat the living shit out of me, and I don't want him to do that to you too. I'd never forgive myself."

"I understand why you're worried, but you have to trust me and have faith that everything will be okay. I think we should go to bed for the night and in the morning we can explore the woods a bit and relax. Sound like a plan?" Hildie patted Duo's leg before she stood and offered her hand to get him to stand up.  
He looked at her hand before nodding and taking it. They made their way to the bedrooms before parting and taking separate rooms. Duo went to the twin sized bed that his suitcase sat on. He sighed and dressed into a pair of pajama bottoms before climbing into the bed. He would have to wash up in the morning.

_End Chapter_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Four**_

Duo woke the next morning to the sun shinning in his face. He stretched in his bed and marveled at the fact that he had slept so long. He was surprised that he was able to fall asleep after all, but he guessed his body needed the rest. His mind did too, but the rest did not stop the thoughts that had filled him with fear yesterday. They resurfaced and he buried his face in his pillow. He did not want to do this anymore. Somewhere a voice yelled at him for ever leaving in the first place. How dumb could he be? He had no only put his life at risk but Hildie's too. He was so stupid!

With a sigh he rolled out of bed and headed towards the bathroom. He entered and looked around. There was an old style tub with a pump for water on one side of the room. Well, it looked like he was going to be taking a cold bath. Nothing he could not handle. There was also a mirror and sink opposite of the tub. There was a spiket on this sink, but Duo knew it was only for decoration. There was no plumbing out here. All the pipes drained out to the back yard. He would have to collect some water in the provided bowel sitting on the shelving unit beside the sink to brush his teeth. He went to the tub and plugged it before pumping fresh water into it. When he was done filling it, he went back to his room and gathered his toiletries and two towels. He went back to the bathroom, preparing himself for the quick cold bath he was about to endure. Locking the door behind him, he set his items in a small shelf above the tub. He tested the water with his hand. It was freezing. This would most definitely be fast. Stripping down he eased himself into the tub. Shivering he washed his body and hair quickly. It was difficult taking a bath with his long hair, so he preferred to shower, but he had not bathed or showered in three days and he felt gross. He washed as quickly as he could before pulling himself out of the tub and wrapping his body and hair in the towels. He drained the tub and proceeded to work on the task of brushing his teeth. When he was finished he gathered his clothing and toiletries and headed back to his room to dry off and dress.

Duo left his room feeling much cleaner and much warmer. His hair was still wet but he braided it nonetheless. It was not the first time he hadn't been able to let his hair dry. In fact it happened more often than not. He walked down the hallway and to the living/kitchen area. Hildie was at the counters preparing a breakfast of fresh fruit and granola. It would be a simple breakfast, but food was food after all. He sat down at the small table and watched Hildie cut fruit up. While he watched he fell back into his thoughts from last night. He had decided before he had fallen asleep last night that they couldn't stay there. They would have to find a new place. He just could not chance Heero finding them, but he would have to tell Hildie how he felt and it was going to be hard. They had just gotten there and he was sure that Hildie was excited to be taking what might seem like a vacation. It sure did not feel like a vacation. Duo also remembered that in just a few days he would have to head back into work. Or he could extend his vacation, but he had thrown his phone out the window and had no way of getting a hold of anyone. So what would he do? He was so torn! Hildie caught him staring off into space and thinking again and pulled him out by yelling at him.

"Goodness Duo. You're always lost in thought these days. What's going on up there now?" She set a bowl of mixed fruit and a bowl of granola down on the table for them to eat. Duo dug in, grabbing a piece of apple and munching on it. He really did not want to talk, hunger was more important to him. When he had eaten a bit he decided to answer her question.

"To be honest Hildie, I'm thinking that coming here was a bad idea." Hildie nearly chocked on the piece of banana she was swallowing. "I know, I sound completely crazy, but I think we should go somewhere else. I'm afraid he will find us here. He has had plenty of time to look and I'm sure he's hot on our trail. Plus there is the problem that in a few days I have to head back to work, and I'm almost on the other side of the country. I would take a longer vacation but I have no way of getting a hold of my work and letting them know." Duo explained with courage.

Hildie stared at him for a moment before exclaiming, "Are you kidding me?! We are not leaving here just after we got here Duo. This place is perfectly safe. Its a safe house for a reason. I was careful when I got it. There is no way he can track us here unless we tell him exactly where we are. Plus, if you need to get a hold of work you can just use my cell phone. There are cell towers around here I'm sure I get a signal, even if its a small one. You can call your work when we are done eating." Hildie popped some granola into her mouth and smiled at him as she chewed.

He blinked at her, shocked and dumbfounded. He watched her chew her granola before he jumped up at the table and yelled, "You have had your cell phone on you this entire time?! He could track that Hildie! OH MY GOD! I'm so fucking screwed! Now I know for sure he is going to find us!" Duo's hands flew above his head as he shouted. He walked away from the table in a rush and began to pace around the living area.

"Calm down Duo! How the hell is he going to think to track me down? You and I haven't talk to each other in years." Hildie remained seated, but she stopped eating to focus on the stressed man.

"Because Hildie! Because he is going to track everyone I know down and try to find out where I might have gone! This is horrible! What were you thinking?! Neither of us are a match for him! He's gonna tear the both of us apart!" Duo shouted at her.

"Stop freaking out! It will be okay. Listen, I can call someone and have them come here and help us. How about I call Wufei, I'm sure he will be willing to help, and I know that he doesn't live too far from here." Hildie tried to calm Duo.

Duo spun around and faced his friend. Maybe she had a good idea. Maybe Wufei would help them. He could take Heero on for sure, but how long would it take him to get there? Would he get there in time before Heero did. For sure they would have to take the chance. Duo nodded. "Okay, call him. Try to get him here as fast as you can please."

Hildie nodded and went to her room to retrieve her phone. She dialed the number she remember Wufei giving her a few months back and waited for an answer. It wasn't long before there ringing stopped and Wufei picked up.

"Wufei"

"Hey Wufei, it's Hildie. I need to ask you a favor."

"Go for it."

"Well It's a really long story, but I need you to meet me somewhere. I need help with Duo and he is freaking out on me. I can't tell you a lot, just that I need you and I can give you coordinates."

"Wow, that is really vague Hildie. Does this have anything to do with Heero calling me yesterday looking for Duo?"

Hildie paused, shocked. Duo had been right. How long would it be before Heero called her? "Yes it does, but Wufei you can't call him. This is really serious and Heero can't know where Duo is or where you are going or what is going on right now. Can you please promise me you wont say anything to Heero?"

"Yeah, but I do not understand. I thought they were together."

"Its really complicated Wufie. Listen, we are at 39 degrees north, 82 degrees west. Its just outside of Athens Ohio. We are at a safe house, and I need you to get here as fast as you can."

There was a pause. "Okay, I can get there in 7 hours."

"Okay, we'll be watching for you." Hildie hung up and placed the phone on the little table beside the bed. She stared at it, wondering what she should do with it. Would Heero call her? What should she do if he did. She could turn it off. It did not have much battery life anyway. Yes, she would turn it off so that no one could call her. Unfortunately she knew that just turning it off wouldn't make tracking her impossible. It could delay it, but she could still be found. She was starting to understand Duo's fears. Though she wasn't nearly as freaked out as he was, she realized the danger that they were in. She turned the phone off. Peoples phones died all the time, so even if Heero called her it would not be anything for it to go right to voice mail. She left the phone on the table and went out to the living area to tell Duo that Wufei was on his way. She found him still pacing the living room, a frantic look about him. "Hey Duo, I called Wufei and he is coming up here. He should be here in about 7 hours. Like I said he doesn't live far from here."

Duo stared at her, a look of distress crossing his features. "What are we supposed to do until then?"

"We could go for a walk. Its absolutely lovely outside." She suggested.

"But what if we leave and then when we come back he is here?!"

Hildie rolled her eyes. This was getting ridiculous. They couldn't stay inside for the next 7 hours. Well, they could but there wasn't anything to do. "Duo, we need to do something to get your mind off of all this. How about we go outside and enjoy the weather and nature. We don't have to go far from the house okay?"

Duo nodded. Hildie was right. He needed to stop thinking about the bad things that could happen. He needed to focus on something until Wufei got there. He moved to put his shoes on and head outside as Hildie did the same. It was a lovely day out, he could see out the windows. It would be nice to get some fresh air and walk around.

xxxx

He had tried to spend time outside but even the cool breeze and fresh smell of the trees could not distract him from his problems. Hildie was enjoying herself, but Duo decided to go back inside and see if he could find something to do. The only thing that was able to distract him was the lunch they had midday, but after that it was back to the worries and pacing around the cabin. He checked the time all too often and it seemed like it would take forever for Wufei to arrive. Any moment Heero could show up. All he could think about was the fact that Hildie still had her cell phone and Heero could track it. Every sound made him jump. It was fast approaching dinner time, but there was still no sign of Wufei. As Hildie prepared something to eat in the tiny kitchen, Duo sat staring at the fire he had made earlier to distract himself.

How long ago had Hildie called Wufei? Where was he now? Why wasn't he there yet? Had he got into an accident? Had he called Heero and told him their location? Would he ever show up? Would Duo ever stop worrying about everything? All the questions and fear were starting to drive him crazy. He nearly fell out of his seat when a knock at the front door rang through the cabin. Duo slowly turned around and started at the door wide eyed. What if it was Heero?

Hildie looked at Duo and rolled her eyes. He was acting like such a scaredy cat, but deep down Hildie understood why, and she forced herself to be strong for her friend. Wiping her hands on a towel she went over to the door. She paused before opening the door to reveal a disheveled Wufei. The look of him shocked her as he was always so well groomed and cleaned up.

"Wufei! What happened to you. Please come in." She stepped aside to the let the man in. Wufei smoothed his hands down his rumpled shirt and dirt spotted jeans.

"Thanks." He stepped in and looked around. He found Duo sitting in the chair staring at him and nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Well, it's trickier getting up here then I thought. I almost got lost and when I was making my way up to the cabin a squirrel decided to attack me and I ended up falling back down to the cars."

"Wow that's crazy. Well why don't you have a seat, I'm just about done making something for dinner." Hildie went back to preparing the summer sausage and crackers as Wufei sat down across from Duo. A few moments later Hildie announced that everything was ready and they all gathered together at the small table. They ate in silence. Duo did not seem any more relaxed now that Wufei was there, and Hildie could not understand what was going on in his head. Once they were done eating Hildie took care of the food and dishes as Wufei and Duo went back to sitting by the fire.

"So what's going on Duo? Why did I just drive all the way from New Jersey to a tiny cabin out in the middle of nowhere?" Wufei questioned. Hildie sat down beside him and they both looked at Duo.

They braided man hesitated. He knew that he had no choice but to tell Wufei, but the idea of telling another person what was going on filled him with an even greater fear. When Heero found out that he was telling everyone his ass would be gone. "Okay, I'll give you the short version. Basically for the past year Heero has been abusive and after a lot of waiting I finally got the chance to run. But now I'm afraid he's going to find me and beat the living shit out of me."

Wufei took the little bit of information in. It was most definitely not what he had expected. He needed to know more though. "Why didn't you ever call someone for help?"

"Because I was afraid of what he might do to me when he found out I had called someone. He's a bloody control freak. I couldn't do anything or go anywhere unless he said it was okay. The only thing I was ever really allowed to do was go to work." Duo sighed, wanting all of this to end.

Wufei nodded, thinking. "How long has this been going on, his abusiveness?"

"Just over a year."

There was a shocked look on Wufei's face. He could hardly believe that a fellow soldier of the war would allow something like this to happen to himself. Then again, Duo had always been different. Like Quatre, they both had a more sensitive and emotional side then the rest of the pilots. It would be possible that this flaw, in Wufei's eyes, could allow something like this to happen. It did make sense, but Wufei was disappointed in his comrade. This wasn't the time to analyze why or to feel negative emotions towards the other man. This was a serious situation that needed to be handled with care. Wufei sighed as he contemplated it all. "So what do you want to do now Duo? You are free of him, I guess I do not understand why you guys need my help in all of this."

Hildie decided that it was her turn to chime in. "Because he's afraid that Heero will find us up here and I'm no match for him, and Duo is clearly deathly afraid of what he might do to him. It seems pointless to keep moving around trying to avoid Heero, but like I said, I can't take him on. You, on the other hand, are at his level. When it comes down to it, Duo needs to face the problem head on, but I don't think he will be able to do it with just me. Who knows what Heero is capable of. So he needs your help."

Wufei's brow creased in thought. "Well if you do not want to stay here anymore Duo, then you could stay at my place for a little while. Mind you, it will only be until you and Heero get everything worked out and we are sure he is not going to go crazy on you. Does that idea suit you?"

Duo nodded. He trusted his friends ability to protect him and he just wanted to get away from the cabin. Hildie was right. He needed to face Heero, but he could not do it alone or with someone who could not stop him from doing something crazy. Wufei would be able to help when he decided to finally talk to Heero.

"That settles it. How about we stay the night and in the morning we will head out." Hildie smiled, happy that things were working out for Duo. She also held great trust in their friend Wufei. The rest of the night past in silence and before long they were saying their good-nights and heading to bed.

_End Chapter_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter Five**_

The next morning they all ate breakfast before deciding to head out. They agreed that Hildie would take Quatre's car back with her and Duo would ride with Wufei. They gathered their things and said their goodbyes and soon Duo and Wufei were on their way to New Jersey. The ride was quiet, the only sound was the humming of the engine as they drove east. Duo would normally have filled the silence with his chatter, but he couldn't find anything to talk about. His entire life for the past year had been controlled by Heero and the only thing that ever happened to him was beatings. That was not a topic he wanted to talk about on the way to Wufei's place. But the silence was maddening. It gave him far too much time to think, and he hated thinking. Especially when he had to think of what to tell Heero when he finally had the chance to call him. Or would he have to call him? Maybe he could convince Wufei to call him. Duo wasn't sure he could talk to Heero without falling for him again.

At the speed Wufei drove, the trip that would normally take eight hours only took seven and Duo was perfectly fine with that. He was getting tired of long drives. He wanted to finally get somewhere he truly felt safe, and he was sure that when he got to Wufei's place he would feel just that. Safe enough to relax and not worry about Heero finding him, because even if he did find him Wufei would be there to help him. They drove into the large city of Newark New Jersey. It was lit up ready for the sun to set in a few hours and it reminded Duo of his home in Sacramento. A home that he would most likely never return to since it was with Heero. Wufei drove to a high end residential neighborhood with elegant looking condo's. Duo wasn't surprised by how beautiful it looked. Wufei was the type of guy to buy not only for function but beautify. Duo also wasn't surprised by the price sticker the condo's probably held. Wufei worked in the eastern division of the Proventor's Force and Duo worked in the western division. The job paid very well, and Duo was sure that Wufei had made his way high up in the ranks. A nice paycheck ment nice things, like the amazing BMW i8 that they were currently driving in. Duo was eager to get out the car and check out the inside of Wufei's home. They pulled into the drive way of a townhouse style condo that looked the same as all the other condos around it. The only thing that set it apart from the others was Chinese dragon statue sitting on the front porch.

As they got out of the car Duo looked around. It was most definitely a nice area. He wouldn't mind living in an area like this. He didn't have much time to look though because Wufei was heading to the front door and unlocking it as Duo closed the car door and dashed up behind him. When they walked into the home Duo was completely surprised to see the sight before him. He had expected it to be decorated with Chinese adornments and the like but it looked like a normal home with highly expensive furniture and the occasional piece of Chinese artwork. Duo wondered where Wufei hid all of the other Chinese decorations because he knew the Chinese man was very passionate about his culture. He would have to look around a bit and find out. Now was not the time though because as he looked around Wufei faced him in the hallway to address him.

"Okay, I have a spare bedroom upstairs on the left. Its right next to the restroom. Feel free to make yourself comfortable for the time being. There is food in the refrigerator, help yourself. I have to get some work done so I will be in library if you need me." Wufei turned around and walked down the hall. He disappeared through a doorway on the left that was under the open staircase. For a moment Duo was unsure what to do with himself.

He picked his suitcase up off the floor and headed upstairs to seek out the bedroom he was offered. As he made his way up he took note of the minimal Chinese decorations. They were present, but there were much fewer than he anticipated. The room he found was void of any real decoration. It had a dresser, a twin sized bed and a bedside table with a lamp on it. The room was painted a neutral beige color and the bed coverings were an espresso brown. The furniture was painted an almost exact shade of brown. The room was quaint, and despite the fact that the walls were bare Duo found it welcoming. He placed his suitcase on the bed when a thought came into his head. He stepped out of the room and looked down the hallway. He could see a door that led to the bathroom next to his temporary bedroom. There was also another door on the other wall about halfway between his bedroom door and the bathroom door. That must be the master bedroom, Duo thought. He had a pretty good idea that the bathroom was probably just as blandly decorated as his room, but he couldn't help but wonder about the other bedroom. Duo listened for any sounds from downstairs. He could just barely make out Wufei's voice as he spoke to someone on the phone.

Duo swallowed and tip toed over to the other door. He was dying to know what Wufei's room looked like. Was it mildly decorated like the hallways and the little bit of living room Duo had seen? Or was it void of decoration like his room. He turned the handle and slowly pushed the door open. The setting sun fought to shine through deep red curtains, illuminating the room in an almost blood red light. Duo was shocked to see a beautifully decorated room. Two of the walls were painted a deep red and the other two were painted black. The queen size four poster bed sat off to the left side of the room. It had an elegance to it, and the comforter and pillows were designed in a beautiful red and black dragon and Chinese background. Small tables stood beside the bed, each with an elegant Chinese lamp. The walls were decorated in a large array of scrolls, swords and Chinese hangings. They were balanced perfectly so no to overcrowd the walls. There was a large rug in the middle of the room. It was an ornate tribal style design. There was a black high-back chair and lamp in the right corner of the room. Beside them was a door that no doubt lead to a walk-in closet. The room was so much more then he had expected, but he was far from disappointed. He could spend hours in that room enjoying the decorations and the mood that had been set by the sun. He had to quickly remind himself that he shouldn't be looking in Wufei's room and he quietly closed the door and tip toed back to his room.

When Duo was finished unpacking his bag, he made his way downstairs. He ventured down the hallway and through the archway that led to the modern kitchen. He smiled. This was much better than the dinky gas stove in the cabin. And there was a refrigerator. He had only been without electricity for a day but he missed it more then he realized. He set out to find some food and make something for the two of them to eat for dinner. While he made a simple stir fry chicken dish he thought about his work. He had already been through six days of his week of vacation. He would have to call them tomorrow to extend it for another week or so to get everything sorted out. Not to mention there was no way he was going to be able to get back to the office in time. They would have no choice but to give him an extension. He would talk to Noin, she was pretty cool about stuff like that. He finished dinner and plated it before going to find Wufei. He found the other man still in the library at an expensive looking desk. He was working on what looked like paperwork and sitting in silence.

"Hey Wufei." The man in question looked up. "I made some dinner, if you want to eat something. Its stir fry." Duo smiled.

Wufei's brows creased. Duo was definitely not the same as he had been the last time he had seen him. The brunette was more timid. It bothered Wufei.

Though the loud and annoying Duo bothered him from time to time, he most definitely did not like this Duo at all. He wondered when that would all change and the man would go back to being normal. "I'll be out in just a moment."

Duo nodded and turn away to go to the kitchen and grab himself a plate. He sat in the simple dinning room beside the kitchen and began to eat. It was surprisingly good, not that he couldn't cook. Having eaten fast food, gas station snacks and sparse meals the past few days had taken a toll on him. Not to mention Wufei had not stopped for them to get lunch earlier that day. He was starving. He was already halfway done with his food when Wufei joined him at the table. They ate in silence and when Duo was done he sat back and sighed. He was full and it felt great. Wufei finished shortly after. Duo expected the other man to get up and take care of his dishes, but to his surprise Wufei looked to him.

The Chinese man lanced his fingers together and rested his arms on the table as he leaned forward. Duo's eyes grew minutely bigger, wonder inside of them. "So Duo, what are you going to do now?"

Duo blinked. What was he going to do now? Well he had to call work but he didnt think that was what Wufei meant. He had to be talking about Heero. But Duo didn't want to call Heero. "I-" he paused "I guess I should call Heero. But...but what do I say to him?" The look of worry he had gotten so used to wearing crept back up on his face.

"What do you want to happen Duo? I can be here for you if Heero does something stupid, but I can not tell you what to do or do it for you." Wufei's serious look never faltered.

Duo sighed. "Honestly, I know I need to break the relationship off, but, I feel horrible doing it over the phone." Duo put his fingers and thumb up to his face, mimicking a phone. "Hi Heero. Sorry, it's over. Have a nice life. Bye."

"Well I am sure you can find a better way to do it then that. I do not think you want to do it face to face though, right?"

Duo thought. No, no he could not do it face to face. He did not have the guts to do that. Over the phone would have to do, but it seemed so horrible and disrespectful. Then again, the situation was not like a normal relationship that was even remotely respectful. He nodded his head, a grim look on his face.

"I think you should get that done tonight. I'll be in the library if you need me. Do not worry Duo, you can do this. You can use the house phone in the living room." Wufei stood and took his plate to the kitchen. Duo was left on his own, thinking of the best way to tell Heero. He sat at the table for far too long before taking care of his dishes. Finishing up in the kitchen, he made his way to the living room. It was a little smaller then one would find in a full size house and was furnished with a couch, love seat and chair as well as a flat screen television and coffee table. The furniture was made of various shades of brown that matched perfectly. Duo wondered if Wufei had decorated himself or if someone had given a hand in that aspect. He found the telephone on an end table beside the couch. It was wireless so he took it to the chair across from the couch and sat down. He stared at it for a moment, as if expecting it to make the call for him. Duo took a deep breath and sighed. I can do this, he thought. He dialed the number and held the phone to his ear, listening to the ring. His heart was racing in his chest, fear coursing though his veins.

"Heero." The answer was curt and the voice sounded annoyed.

"Hi Heero." Duo almost whispered, as if he was afraid of his own voice.

"Duo?! Oh my gosh! Are you okay?" Heero spoke in a rush. Duo could hear the genuine concern in his voice, but he had to remind himself how bad the past year had been. Heero might care about him, but not enough to not beat him on a regular basis.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry Heero. I just-" He was at a loss for words. What did he say? How did he begin?

"What happened Duo? You just suddenly left. You didn't say anything to anyone." The concern in Heero's was fading, and annoyance and anger began to take its place. "I was worried about you, where did you go? Why didn't you say anything?"

Anything to anyone, he thought. So Quatre had kept his secret. Duo would have to thank him later. "It doesn't matter where I went Heero. What matters is why I left the way I did."

"What the hell are you talking about Duo?"

Duo took a deep breath. "I left because of you Heero. I left because I couldn't take it anymore. I can't be with you anymore Heero." The words rushed out of his mouth. He felt like his heart was going to beat right out of his chest. Fear had filled him, but there was also anger and resentment making its way through.

There was a moment of silence; he's in shock, Duo thought. "I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you correctly. Did you say you left because you can't be with me anymore?"

"Yes." He was feeling braver every second that passed. He had actually told Heero the truth about how he felt. Well, sort of. There was so much more he wanted to say, but he mostly wanted to get the whole thing done and over with.

There was another moment of silence, longer than the last. What was Heero thinking? No doubt he was angry. What was he going to say?

"Okay."

Duo was taken aback. Okay? That was all that the other man had to say? Just okay? Surely he was angry. Surely he had so much more to say to Duo, but he said nothing else. Now Duo really was not sure what to say. He needed to end the call though.

"Sorry Heero." He hesitated, wanting to say more, to tell Heero how much he had loved him. It was not that he did not love him anymore, but the love had changed, and he could not love someone who showed him so much hate. "Bye."

There was a click. Heero hadn't bothered to tell him goodbye. Not that he blamed him. Duo had just turned both their worlds upside down. He was prepared for it. It was something he had dreamt about for months, but Heero would have been blindsided by it. Duo turned the phone off and sighed in relief. It was finally all over, but there was one problem that he had to take care of. He needed to call his boss and get an extension on his vacation.

Thirty minutes later Duo was finished talking with Noin. She agreed to extend his vacation by a week due to personal health issues. Duo had not gone into great detail, but Noin had gotten the gist of things. He had also requested a transfer to a different division. There was no way he could continue to work on the west coast, and though his belongings were at the apartment there he knew he would have to work somewhere else. He could get his affects later, when he was settled down in a new place. He honestly did not care where they transferred him to, as long as it wasn't on the west coast.

He hung the phone up and looked out the window behind him. It was dark out. He yawned and stretched. It was getting late, and he was most definitely tired. The idea of sleeping in the comfy bed upstairs filled him with joy. He was more relaxed, but a part of him could not completely relax. He could not help thinking in the back of his mind the way that Heero had reacted to his phone call. The fact that he was okay with it did not sit right. It was not like the Heero that Duo knew. What was going on in his head? Duo shook his head and headed upstairs to the guest room. He was ready for a much needed relaxing nights sleep, and he did just that.

_End Chapter_


	6. Chapter 6

**_Chapter Six_**

The next few days passed far too quickly. Wufei returned to work and Duo enjoyed the sites that Newark had to offer. It was a beautiful city and Duo understood why his friend was working in this particular division of The Proventor's. On his third full day at Wufei's, Duo decided to stay in and relax. The other man had a laundry room and had offered the use of it to Duo. So he took advantage of it and was spending his time inside while he washed his laundry. He had spent all morning inside, and it was getting close to lunch. Duo pondered if he should take himself out for lunch. Since his break up with Heero, Duo had been filled with a new energy and life. He felt like he was back to his old self, though Wufei probably found him as annoying as he used to be. That was okay with Duo. He was so excited to be happy and free.

As Duo was getting ready to head out and get lunch, there was a knock at the door. He paused and looked around as if there was someone else there that could answer it. Had Wufei been expecting someone? A plumber or electrician for something? Duo shrugged and walked towards the door. Before he was able to reach it though there was an aggressive pounding on the door. He stopped in his tracks. Why would a plumber or electrician, or anyone for that matter, have a need to pound on the door like that? They wouldn't. Fear began to bubble up inside of him and there was an even harder pound at the door. Duo crept to the door and peered through the peephole. It was Heero! Duo panicked. What the hell was Heero doing there? He looked totally pissed.

"Duo! I know you're in there! Open the door!" Heero shouted through the door. Duo thanked god that the door was locked, but how long would that hold up? "Duo! Open this fucking door!"

Duo leaned his back against the door and slid down it. Fear had almost paralyzed him. The pounding continued as did Heero's shouting. Duo wondered if Heero was drunk. Did it matter though? He was angry, and even without the alcohol an angry Heero was always scary.

Suddenly, the door moved behind him. It shocked him and he sat wide eyed on the floor. Was Heero really going to try and break the door in? If he was then he was most definitely drunk. Duo sprang forward just before the door broke in and fell. He spun around, fear evident in his features. He eyed Heero. The other man stood in the doorway, his chest rising and falling only slightly faster then normal. The look on his face could kill. His eyes burned with anger and he glared at Duo's shocked form. Duo stood motionlessly. Inside he knew that he should run, but he could not get his body to move. Heero stalked forward and wrapped his hand around Duo's neck. Duo's eyes grew wider as he was propelled backwards. After a few steps, Heero's hand moved away just in time for his fist to make contact with Duo's face. The brunette stumbled back as his hands flew up to cover his now bleeding nose. Heero was most definitely pissed off. Duo was not sure why he had not expected this situation to happen though. Maybe deep inside he had hoped that Heero would not go crazy homicidal maniac on him.

Duo regained his footing, trying to focus on the man in front of him. He needed to figure out what to do. How could he get out of the situation he was in? Maybe he could talk Heero down. "Okay Heero. Calm down." What the hell was he doing? He knew Heero was not going to calm down, but he could not think of anything else to say.

"Calm down?!" Heero spat. "You want me to calm down? After you disappear for four days and then call me to break up?! You want me to fucking calm down?!"

Duo stared at him, He was not sure what to say after that. Heero had a point. Duo had been pretty shitty, but what was done was done. Nothing could change. The silence seemed to anger Heero more and he lunged forward. They fell to the floor and Heero began to beat Duo. The brunette put his arms up, trying to block the blows. All he could think about was the realization that Heero might not stop until he could not move, and to him that meant he could end up dead. He did not want that to happen, but Heero was too strong for him. He always had been.

Suddenly, Heero was no longer on top of him throwing punches. Duo moved his arms to look just in time to see Wufei punching Heero in the face. The Chinese man looked livid. He punched Heero two more times before throwing him towards the broken door.

"Get the fuck out of my house Heero." Wufei pointed angrily at the door. "And do not even think about laying another finger on Duo!"

Heero glared at Wufei before looking over the Chinese man's shoulder at Duo. "You aren't going to get away with this Duo. I promise you that." He turned and stalked out of the condo.

Duo sat on the floor in shock. He had been surprised by Wufei's sudden appearance, but he owed the man his life now. He was also filled with a new anxiety. Was Heero going to come back again? Would he ever be free of him? Duo looked to Wufei who turned to gaze back at him. Wufei went to him and crouched down, examining the extent of his wounds. Some indiscernible emotion softened his eyes.

"I will not let him touch you again, Duo." Wufei reached up and ran his thumb over Duo's bloody lip. The brunette's heart fluttered at Wufie's touch, but the touch was gone suddenly and Wufei looked a little shocked by his own action. Duo blinked, startled by Wufei's sudden display of affection. The other man looked away. "We should take care of those cuts."

Duo nodded and pulled himself to his feet. He followed Wufei upstairs to the bathroom. There was an awkward silence between the two of them. Duo could not stop thinking about the touch, despite the fact that he had just been beat up. What was it that had been in Wufei's eyes? Why had he touched him so tenderly? Was there something there, or was he simply showing concern for his friend. Duo could not wrap his mind around it; the pounding inside his head was making it hard to think. Duo sat very still as Wufei cleaned and bandaged his wounds.

A thought occurred to him and he quipped, "What made you come home so early in the day, Wufei?"

Wufei paused at the sink, staring at the blood stained cloth in his hands. "I had to pick up some paperwork," he mumbled. It did not sound to convincing, but Duo did not press it.

"Thank you," Duo whispered, looking at his friend. He truly wanted to know what was going on there.

"You are welcome," another mumble, before Wufei packed up the first aid kid. "We are all done Duo." He turned to walk out but Duo grabbed him by the arm.

"Wufei-" Duo began.

"Don't Duo. I can't." Wufei pulled away and left Duo sitting in the bathroom confused.

Did Wufei like him? Is that why he said that? Duo could not lie to himself that he liked the other man, but if Wufei did like him why was he unwilling to make it happen between the two of them? Was it because Duo had just gotten out of a horrible relationship. Duo feared the worst. Maybe it was because he had been used and was too battered, but when Duo thought on it hard he was sure it was because of the relationship he had just ended. How long had Wufei liked him? What was he supposed to say to him now? Duo sighed. Why couldn't he have a normal life?

XXXX

Duo ate dinner alone that night. After he had helped Duo, Wufei had called to get the door fixed and returned to work. He had not been back since. Why was Wufei avoiding him? Was it all that horrible? Duo had been thankful when a repair man had arrived with a new door shortly after Wufei left. The repair had been quick, and Duo was grateful for the barrier to the outside. He knew that it would not stop Heero from doing the same thing though, and fear still lingered inside of him. It ate at him and he found it was hard to look at life positively as he had just hours earlier. What had Wufei meant when he said he would not let Heero touch him again? How could he possibly make that happen, especially when in a few short days Duo would be moving somewhere. He was still waiting for Noin to call and tell him where he was being transferred to. He only hoped that it was far away from Sacramento. He would even take a transfer across seas. Not that it would stop Heero from coming after him, but it would make it more difficult.

Duo looked at the clock. It was ten o-clock and Wufei still was not home. He decided to head to bed. His body and face hurt and he just wanted to sleep and forget the day had ever happened. That night, Duo dreamed of Heero chasing him through broken down doors. He was running as fast as he could, but somehow Heero was gaining on him. It was like he was slowing down even though his legs were working as hard as they could. Just as Heero grabbed him by the shoulders from behind, Duo shot awake screaming loudly. He blinked and found himself looking into worried charcoal black eyes. Wufei had been shaking him in an attempt to wake him; his hands still lingered on Duo's shoulders. Duo's breathing was heavy, as if he really had been running.

"Duo, are you okay?" Wufei asked, his brows furrowed in worry.

"Y-yeah. Just a nightmare." Duo shook his head in an attempt to clear it. He could not stop thinking about the look in Heero's face in the dream. It was the same look he had had when he broke the door in. There was malice in those dark blue eyes. The thought made Duo shiver and he tried to push the memory away.

Wufei scrutinized him before letting go of his shoulders. He lingered on the side of the bed, eying Duo. Duo looked away, embarrassed that Wufei had found him like that. A flush colored his cheeks when he realized that he was in his boxers and Wufei had been touching his bare skin. The touch had been gentle and different from what he was used to. He liked it, but Wufei's statement from earlier that night drifted to the surface. He frowned. When he turned to face Wufei the man was gone causing Duo to sigh.

After the nightmare he found it difficult to fall back asleep. He could not get the vividness of it out of his head and he also could not stop thinking about Wufei. He had admitted to himself a long time ago that he had found all of his fellow pilots attractive, but there had been something about Heero that had drawn him in. The beginning of the relationship had been awkward since Heero had no idea what it even ment to be with someone, but Duo had made it work. He realized far too late that Heero was not capable of being in a loving and kind relationship. He had been holding out, hoping near the end but hope could not reprogram a person. There was something different about Wufei though. Duo had always liked him, but he had not seen the other man in years, and the fact that the chinese man might like him shocked Duo a little. He was not even sure if Wufei liked men that way. Also, throughout the war Wufei had always made it know that he thought Duo to be annoying and clumsy. He had proclaimed his dislike that Duo just was not serious enough. Due to all of this, Duo had long thought he did not have a chance with him, but suddenly things might be different. Could it be possible for something to develop there? Duo would not know unless he tried.

_End Chapter_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter Seven**_

The next morning when Duo finally woke, the sun was steadily rising to the sky. He had slept in due to the fact that it was late when he finally fell asleep. He climbed out of bed and made his way downstairs after using the bathroom. It was no surprise that Wufei was not in the house. Duo pondered what to say to the other man as he made himself breakfast. He wanted to tell Wufei that he liked him but he was afraid that the other man would just push him away. Was there anyway to make a relationship happen? Duo would have to figure something out.

Later that day, Duo found himself bored. He realized that it had been well over a week since he had disposed of his phone. It was time for him to get a new one. He was dying to call Hildie and Quatre. It was possible for him to make the calls on Wufei's house phone, but he needed to get himself a new phone anyway. As he headed out to the cab he had called, he realized he needed to get himself a car as well. He had left his in Sacremento, and there was no way he was going back to get it. He still had to figure out how he was going to get all of his other belongings when he moved into his new place. That was something he would have to worry about later. He decided it would be best to get the new car first and then get a new phone.

Duo found himself staring at far too many cars inside of the lobby of the dealership. How on earth did they manage to get the cars inside the building, Duo wondered. He did not have to stand long before a sales man approached him with a huge grin on his face. The man was stocky and dressed in a black suit and tie.

"Good afternoon, sir! My name is Paul. What can I help you with today?" The man took Duo's hand and shook it. Duo smiled at him, a spark of excitement lighting inside him. Buying new cars was always fun.

"Well, I need a new car," Duo laughed. The idea that he would need anything else there was silly.

"You've come to the right place." Paul beamed. "What are you looking for?"

Duo thought. "I would like something nice, but I don't want to break the bank."

"Okay, sounds good. How about we look at the our line of Lexus'? They come in a range of styles and prices." Paul lead Duo outside to the lot. There were hundreds of cars, but they made their way to a particular bunch. There were four door family cars, SUV's and sports cars. Duo's eyes lit up when he saw the line of sports cars. "Is there anything that catches your eye?"

Duo pointed at a sleep black sports car. "What can you tell me about that car?"

"Oh very nice choice sir. This is the Lexus IS 250 C. It has 21 miles per gallon city and 30 highway. A V-6 engine with 204 horsepower powers this beauty. Starting price on this vehicle is a little over forty three thousand. This particular model has more features then the factory model so it will be a little more expensive then listing price. The monthly payment is a little more expensive on this vehicle, though it is one of the cheaper Lexus', so if it isn't in your range we should look at a different line of cars." Paul finished his speech, a smile on his face. He seemed very proud of his extensive knowledge of the car.

Duo stared at the car. It was absolutely lovely. A two door sports car with a convertible top. It was many times better than the car he had in Sacremento. Duo knew the price would not be an issue. Though he was not rich like Quatre, and he did not make as much as Wufei, he got paid very well to do the job he did. He would be able to pay the car off in just a few years no problem. "I'll take it!"

Paul looked stunned. "Do you want to test drive it sir?"

"No, I'm sure it drives fine." Duo smiled, ready to head inside and sign all the paperwork.

"O-okay." Paul nodded. "Well, how about we go to my office and work on the paperwork."

An hour later Duo was walking out of the dealership with the keys to his new car in hand. He had showed his Preventor's card and was able to get a considerable discount on the car. His fingers itched to drive the car. When he climbed in the distinct smell of a new car enveloped him. He inhaled deeply. He loved that smell. He started the car up, enjoying the feel of the engine throughout the car. He knew he would enjoy driving it. The next item on his list was a new cell phone. He did that quickly, picking a high end model. It was close to dinner time when he finally finished. He decided it was time to head back and hopefully talk to Wufei. He still was not sure what he was going to say, but he knew he would figure something out.

By the time Duo made it back to Wufei's condo, it was nearly dinner time and his stomach was yelling at him for food. He pulled into the driveway of the home and took note that Wufei's car was already parked there. A feeling of anxiety filled Duo. He still had not figured out what to say to the Chinese man. Before he got out of the vehicle he decided that he would just have to play it cool for the time being and see what happened.

Duo climbed out of his car and headed inside. He could smell something delicious coming from the kitchen as he entered. Since he had been there, he had been the one who had cooked so he was excited to see and taste something Wufei had cooked. He placed his car keys on the hallway table and peeked into the kitchen to find Wufei standing at the stove. Biting back his curiosity and anticipation, Duo went to the living room. He sat down on the couch and wondered what he could do. He decided to pull his phone out and play some games on it while he waited for dinner to be finished. Moments after he sat down though, a pack of papers papercliped together fell into his lap. He looked up and saw Wufei looking at him.

"What's this?" Duo inquired, confusion filling his features.

"Those are your transfer papers. Noin faxed them in this afternoon." Wufei began to walk out of the living room to tend to the food in the kitchen.

Duo took hold of the papers and followed Wufei. "So I'm being transferred to the division here in Newark?" He was confused and excited at the same time.

Wufei stirred the soup he was preparing before answering, "Yes. All of the paper work has been finished and you will begin working this up coming Monday. All of the information is in the paperwork, including the name of your superior."

"Wow, this is great! Thanks for giving me all of this 'Fei." Duo waited for the other man to get on him about using the nickname that he had created, but the Chinese man seemed unfazed by it and continued to cook. "We should totally celebrate!"

There was a moment of silence as Wufei took the pot of soup off of the stove top and placed it on the counter. "What did you have in mind?" He began to pull bowls and spoons out for the two of them.

Duo leaned against the counter and thought. This could be his chance to make a move. He would have to play it right though. A smile came across his face. "We should go to a bar. I haven't been out drinking in ages! What do you say 'Fei? Sound like fun?"

Wufei poured a laddel full of soup into a bowl and passed it to Duo before filling the second bowl. "Sounds okay. I have not been out in quite some time myself. What night were you thinking?"

The two of them carefully walked to the dinning room and sat down to eat. "How about tonight!"

Wufei scooped a spoonful of soup and blew on it before carefully sipping. "I would rather do it tomorrow night. I have to work in the morning."

Duo tapped his spoon against his lips as he thought. "Okay, sounds like a date!" Wufei paused eating and Duo sat wide eyed realizing what he had said. He started to eat his soup quickly, burning his mouth in the process. Wufei did not look up but continued to eat. The rest of the meal was eaten in silence.

_End Chapter_


	8. Chapter 8

**_Chapter Eight_**

The next day Duo decided he needed something awesome to wear to the bar. The regular selection of clothing he had brought with him was fairly normal, and he wanted something that made him stand out. He headed out early, being unfamiliar with the area. He was sure he could find something he would like, even if it cost him a little bit of money. As he was out he thought of the night before. He could hardly believe that he had called their outing a date, and to think that Wufei had not deputed it. Just thinking about it made Duo feel giddy inside. He could hardly contain his excitement. When he was finished being distracted by his thoughts he found a store that he liked.

The shop had a black store front and the name _Darkerside Clothing_ was printed on a large sign overhead in bold red letters. Large windows displayed different pieces of punk style clothing. A dark room could be glimpsed behind the clothed mannequins but the lack of light would not divulge any of the secrets inside. Duo could not wait to get inside and see the array of clothing they had. He walked inside and could hardly contain his excitement. The lighting inside of the shop was poor but it set a dark mood the moment he stepped inside. He saw racks of black, leather, studded and chained clothing. From time to time a splash of color popped out amongst the black. The walls were covered in shirts on display. He began to walk around, looking for something to catch his eye. The shop carried accessories too and he told himself he might have to find something there as well.

The brunette stopped in front of the rack of pants. He grabbed a pair before heading to the jackets. He did not need to find a shirt due to the fact that he had plenty of black shirts at Wufei's he could wear. He was more interested in sporting an awesome jacket. He found one he liked and headed to the wide array of footwear at the back of the store. Finding a pair he liked and that fit, he headed to the register and paid for the clothing. He was so excited, he couldn't wait to put it all and go to the bar with Wufei.

Later that night, Duo stared at himself in the bathroom mirror. He was wearing a simple black t-shirt, over the shirt he had put on his new jacket. The fitted black jacket had long sleeves with straps buckled on them and buttoned down the right side of his chest. He had left a few of the top buttons undone letting the jacket fold over the other side of his chest. He wore a pair of tight black pants adorned with straps and buckles. Calf high boots with laces and buckles finished off the ensemble. He looked sharp, he could not deny that, but would Wufei like it? He shook his head trying to kick the thought out. It should not matter what Wufei thought, as long as he was happy. Though he could not deny that he wanted to impress the other man. He was dressed to impress, and he was positive he looked amazing.

He left the bedroom, slightly self conscious but filled with confidence. He could not wait to see what Wufei was wearing. It did not really matter what he was wearing, Duo was sure he would find it attractive. He always found the Chinese man attractive. As he made his way down the stairs he checked his cell phone. He realized that since he had gotten the phone he still had not called Quatre or Hildie. He left a note for himself to make sure to do that the next day. He had to fill them in on everything that had happened to him. When he got to the bottom stairs he looked up and saw Wufei standing in wait in the archway to the living room. Duo stopped, stunned by just how good looking the other man was.

Wufei was wearing a fitted black mesh tank-top that showed off well defined pecks and a killer six pack. He had also donned a pair of tight black jeans and a pair of all black low top converse shoes. It was much more simple then the outfit that Duo was wearing. He looks like he's ready to go clubbing, Duo thought to himself. Then again, he himself might have been over dressed for just the bar, but he could not help himself. He wanted to wear something that screamed different. He also did not know what kind of bar they would be going to. Maybe he would be surprised by what the other people were wearing. Duo stared at Wufei for far too long before looking back to his phone. He slipped it into his pocket and looked back up at the other man.

"Ready to go?" Wufei inquired, holding his keys. He looked cool and casual, like the fact that his chest was showing did not bother him in the slightest.

"Oh, yeah." Duo smiled, trying to keep his cool, but it was hard with an amazingly hot man standing right in front of him. He was having a hard time thinking.

"Let's go." Wufei turned and lead the way out to his car. Duo followed, grateful that Wufei was driving. He was not sure if he would be able to drive with the other man sitting next to him dressed like that. He would have to do his best to not stare while they were on the way to the bar. They both climbed into the car and Wufei stared it up. He pulled out of the driveway and made his way towards downtown Newark.

When they walked into the club, Duo was in compete shock. The people there were dressed in similar clothing as Wufei and himself. There were people dressed in studs, chains and leather. It was almost like Duo had walked back into Darkerside Clothing again, but people were wearing the clothing instead of mannequins. He wondered if all of these people shopped at that store. He brushed off the thought and followed Wufei to the bar. It was not like a typical bar that Duo had been to before. It was closer to a dance club, but the music was darker and harder. He liked it, but he would never have guess Wufei to go to a place like it. How did Wufei know that Duo would enjoy a place that screamed punk and goth theme? He would have to ask later.

"Wufei! It's been awhile. What can I get for you?" The woman behind the bar flashed a grin. She was dressed in a sleek black dress that ended just above her knees and knee high boots that were adorned with chains and studs. She was thin and very attractive with shoulder length blond hair.

"Hi Amanda. I'll take a Corona."

"And your friend?" She smiled at Duo. Wufei looked at him, nodding for him to order.

"I'll have the same." Duo showed a small smile. He was feeling a little intimidated. It had been a very long time since he had been out in such a large gathering of people in one place.

"Two Corona's coming right up." Amanda walked down the bar and produced two chilled beers from the large cooler. She came back to where the two men were standing and popped the tops before handing them over. "Did you want to start a tab?"

"Yes. Just put it under my name."

"Sure thing." She winked as the two of them walked away to find an open table. Duo was not surprised to find that it was difficult to find somewhere to sit. There were so many people there, but at the same time it did not seem overly crowded. They found a small circular table to the side of what had been made into a dance floor. The tables had been pushed close together so that the patrons could enjoy the music that the DJ on stage was playing. Duo wondered if they had live bands playing for time to time. He would have to ask Wufei.

They sat in silence for what seemed like forever to Duo, observing the people around them. Duo wondered how many of the people Wufei knew. He clearly knew the woman behind the bar well enough. They were well over halfway done with their drinks when Duo could take it no longer. He had to talk about something. "Hey, Wufei." The man in question turned to him, "How often do you come here?"

"At least once a month." He did not elaborate, but Duo was dying to know more.

"I would never have pegged you as someone who would come to a place like this."

Wufei took a drink of his beer, finishing it off. "There are a lot of things you do not know about me Duo." There was a look in his eye, a darkness that Duo could not quite read because of the dark lighting in the bar. What is he trying to imply, Duo wondered. "Want another?" Wufei held his bottle up to indicate the drink. Duo nodded his head and quickly finished his beer off. The other man took the empty bottles to the bar and brought back two more. There was another long stretch of silence.

"What kinds of things don't I know about you Wufei?" Duo probed.

Wufei looked at him, squinting his eyes as if he was contemplating what to say to Duo. "Things that you do not want to know Duo." He turned away and took a large swig of his beer. Duo blinked in shock. What on earth did he not want to know, and who was Wufei to decided what he did or did not want to know? He was not going to give up. This was the first interesting topic they had started to talk about since he had gotten to Newark. Plus, what could be worse then what he already knew about the man?

"Well, why don't you try me Wufei. You'd surprised what doesn't bother me." Duo smiled, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Wufei starred at him and continued to drink his beer. "Trust me Duo. It is better if you do not know. Just drop it."

Duo glared at him. He really wanted to know what Wufei was talking about, but the look that he had just been given told him really should just drop it. He would get it out of Wufei sooner or later though, so he decided to find a different topic to talk about. With the way his brain worked so fast it was not difficult to come up with something.

"So do you have many friends here?"

Wufei shrugged, and finished his second beer. Duo looked at his own beer and saw he still had half of it left. He did not want Wufei to lap him on beers, so he chugged it before the other man could get up to get a third round. He stood before Wufei was able to. "I'll get the next round." Duo exclaimed, holding back his excitement. He was dying for a chance to look around the place a little bit more. He made his way up to the bar with the two empty beer bottles. As he walked he looked around and all the people. The bar was just so different from what he had expected, but he was happy that he diod not stand out like a sore thumb. When he got to the bar he stood and waited for Amanda the bartender to notice him. He did not have to wait long before the woman was hurrying over to him.

"Another round?" She beamed. Her smile was contagious and Duo smiled back.

"Yes please."

Amanda took the empty bottles from him and quickly returned with two fresh cool bottles of Corona, but when she placed them on the bar for Duo to take she kept her hands on them. She looked him in the eyes before saying seriously, "You know, you're the first person he has ever brought in here. And he's been coming here for years." She winked at him before moving her hands and walking away.

Duo stood, shocked. What was she trying to say? Was she implying that he was special? The giddy feeling from earlier filled him again and he smiled to himself. He must be special if Wufei never brought anyone with him. With this knowledge in mind he went back to the table and handed the other man his beer. Wufei gave him an odd look and Duo realized he was still smiling like an idiot. He looked away as he sat down, trying to wipe the stupid grin off of his face. He had to play it cool like he did not know any special information. He could not help but feel excited about the rest of the night.

One hour and three beers later Duo was doing everything in his power to continue to sit up straight. Wufei, however, was still going strong. Duo felt slightly ashamed of himself. He used to drink twice as much and would have a good buzz, but it had just been too long since he had drank. He was afraid to stand up, but he needed to go to the bathroom. He was not sure if he would make it to the bathroom though. He did not even want to say anything for fear of sounding like an idiot in front of Wufei. They had been quiet since Duo had brought back round three. It had been odd to Duo, but he did not mind watching the people around them. He wondered if Wufei was looking for someone, but did not bother to ask. Now he just needed to get up without looking stupid. After much debate, he decided it would be best to just get up and go. He did not really like the idea of wetting himself.

He cleared his throat before articulating what he needed to say. "I'm going to find the bathroom." He sounded normal, to himself, but he had a feeling it did not come out like he thought it did.

Wufei looked at him as he stood, eying him warily. "It is in the back to the left. Are you okay Duo?" His brows furrowed in concern.

"I'm fine Wufei. Dun worry!" Duo smiled crookedly before wobbling off to the bathroom. He did his best to walk straight and it was harder then he remembered it being. He was using all of his concentration to get to his destination. It felt like eternity before he got to the archway that led to the bathrooms. He leaned against it, trying his best to clear his head. He had not realized just how drunk he was until he had stood up and started walking. He was starting to see double and he willed himself to stay standing. He nearly fell over when a hand gently touched his shoulder. He whipped around to find Wufei standing in front of him, concern evident in his face.

"Duo, you are not okay." There was a softness in Wufei's voice and Duo could sense the other mans worry. He wanted to argue with him, but he knew that the Chinese man was right. He definitely was not going to ask for help going to the bathroom though. That was just something he would have to do on his own. "Can you manage on your own?"

Duo nodded, using the wall to help himself stand up properly. He turned and left Wufei to relieve himself. When he was finished in the bathroom he made his way out. Wufei was still standing where he had left him. The other man took his hand, draping his arm around his neck. Wufei wrapped his arm around Duo's waist and slowly lead him out to the car. They were walking too fast for him, and it seemed like a big blur. He was thankful that he did not feel like throwing up. He simply wanted to lay down and pass out. They made it to the car in what seemed like no time and Wufei leaned Duo against the car as he unlocked it.

"What about your tab?" Duo inquired, leaned back on the car and rested his head.

"I took care of it." Wufei proceeded to help Duo into the car and buckle him in. When the door shut Duo closed his eyes and leaned agaisnt it. He heard the other door open and a moment later it closed. The engine started up, but they did not move. Duo was not sure what Wufei was waiting for. He just wanted to get into bed. Suddenly, Duo felt the gentle touch of the back of Wufei's fingers on his check. As suddenly as it was there it was gone, but it did not go unnoticed to the brunette. Something fluttered inside of him at the touch.

They were moving and Duo was grateful that soon they would be back at Wufei's. They arrived at the condo quickly. Duo was not sure if Wufei was speeding or not, or if he was even in any shape to drive at all. It was not like he could drive though, so he had to put his trust in Wufei to get them back safely, and he did just that.

They entered the condo and Duo had done his best to not make Wufei drag him in. His feet were fighting with him the entire way, but Wufei held onto him securely. Duo's head was foggy, and he leaned on Wufei heavily as they slowly made their way up the stairs. He felt like he needed to say something; he wanted Wufei to know how he felt. He was drunk, yes, but that only gave him the courage to speak what was on his mind. When they got to the top of the stairs, Duo knew he had to do something fast before they got to the guest bedroom.

"Wufei, I like you." Duo fought to articulate without slurring his words. They stopped in the hallway feet away from the guest bedroom.

"I know Duo."

Duo pulled away from the other man and leaned against the wall. "Don't you like me?"

Wufei looked at him, his expression unreadable. "Duo, it is complicated."

"How complicated can it be? If you like me, I like you. We can be together."

"Duo, you are drunk. Now is not the time to discuss this." Wufei made a move towards him. "Come on. We need to get you to bed."

Duo wanted to fight the other man, but he was far too drunk. He let Wufei take him by the arm and help him to the bedroom. He wanted to say more; tell Wufei that he really cared about him. "You have a wicked awesome bedroom, Fei." Duo slurred, giving up on keeping his speech anywhere near normal. He realized that that was no what he had wanted to say, even if the statement was true.

Wufei started at him with another unreadable expression and helped him to lie down in the bed. "Get some sleep Duo."

Duo lied down in the bed. He as a little taken aback by Wufei's sudden exit, but his mind was too fuzzy to think on it. Before he had time to think anymore, he had passed out.

_End Chapter_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter Nine**_

Duo woke late the next morning with the worst hangover and a horrible taste i his mouth. He hadn't thrown up during the night, but the taste of bee and something else lingered in his mouth. He really needed to get up and brush his teeth. As he slowly stood, he realized he was still in his outfit from the night before. He quickly changed into a pair of blue jeans and a new black t-shirt. He figured he could shower later when his brain wasn't trying to pound its way out of his head.

When he finished brushing his teeth in the bathroom, he made his way downstairs. He paused at the top of the stairs, thinking about the way last night went. What had Wufei thought of him after it all? He thought about the words Wufei had said to him. It's complicated. Duo still didn't understand what was so complicated. Surely if it was his previous relationship they could work to put that behind them. Duo had to find out what was just so complicated. Putting on a brave face he descended the stairs and headed towards the kitchen. He had to get something to drink, and hopefully some food would also help his horrible hangover.

Upon entering the kitchen, Duo was surprised to find Wufei in there. It looked like he was cooking a late breakfast. Duo paused in the entryway. He wasn't sure what to say, but maybe just saying hi would work out okay. "Good morning Wufei."

The Chinese man didn't turn from the stove. "Good morning. There is tomato juice in the refrigerator and Tylenol on the counter."

"Oh, thanks." Wufei must be used to treating hangovers, he thought. Duo poured himself a glass of the thick red drink and chugged it. He wasn't a fan of the taste and wanted to get it over with. He popped two Tylenol and used the remaining juice in his cup to swallow them. Placing his glass in the sink he turned back to Wufei.

"Whacha cookin?" He inquired.

"Eggs."

"Eggs?"

"Yes, eggs. They are good for hangovers. Go sit in the dinning room and I will bring it out in a moment."

By the time he seated himself at the table, Wufei was bringing in two plates of scrambled eggs. He set them on the table and sat down. Together they ate in silence. Duo was feeling much better when he finished eating his eggs. Wufei finished just moment after him. Duo stood, and offered his hand. "Let me take care of it."

Wufei handed his plate over to Duo. The brunette took the plates into the kitchen and rinsed them off in the sink. As he did this, he contemplated what to say to Wufei. He knew he was an idiot last night, but he refused to give up. He was going to make something happen between them. He turned around and was shocked to find the other man watching him. He was leaning against the entry way with his arms crossed, a thoughtful look on his face. Duo hesitated. He still hadn't figured out what to say to the man.

"We need to talk Duo." Duo was grateful that Wufei chose that moment to speak up.

"I agree."

"How about we sit in the living room?" Wufei moved his arms away from his chest. Duo had to avert his gaze so that he wasn't staring at the amazing abs that were clearly defined through the tight dark blue shirt Wufei was wearing.

"Sure." Duo followed Wufei to the living room. Wufei sat on the couch and Duo strategically sat at the other end, turning to face the Chinese man. He had decided to sit on the same couch because it forced the other man to turn and face him as well. Sitting across from each other seemed too impersonal.

"Listen, Duo -" Wufei started

"I'm sorry about last night Wufei. I was drunk and, I'm just sorry. Can we forget it all happened?" The words gushed out of Duo's mouth and his eyes pleaded with the other an.

"No, we cannot forget about last night. You were correct. I like you, and I realize that you like me, but you need to understand why it cannot happen between the two of us." Wufei answered, looking at him very seriously.

Duo blinked. This was not going like he had thought it was going to go. Wufei was actually going to tell him? Duo had some words to say before the other man explained anything though. "Listen Wufei. If it's because I was with Heero we can get past that cant we? I mean, I realize that I just left him but that shouldn't stop us from being happy. Right?"

"This has nothing to do with Heero, your past relationship with him or the fact that you just left him."

"Oh." Duo blinked, a slightly shocked look on his face. He felt like he kept making that face, but he couldn't help it. "Well, then what is so damn complicated Wufei? What could be worse then that?"

Wufei took a deep breath and sighed. His features softened slightly and Duo started to get a bad feeling. How much worse was it? "I have a dark side Duo. A side that no one has ever seen, and because of it I do not think it would be a good idea for us to get together."

Duo looked at the other man in confusion. A dark side? Hell, he had a dark side himself, they all did. They had all been in the war together and had killed so many people. How could anything be worse then their dark past? "I guess I don't understand Wufei. What could be so dark that we can't be together?" Duo refused to let it go until it was spelled out for him.

Wufei sighed again. He stood. "I guess I will just have to show you why Duo." There was an odd emotion on his face, something that Duo had never seen there before. Was it fear? Duo wasn't sure, but a part of him was excited that he was going to finally find out the obstacle that he had to work around. He stood and followed Wufei up to the second floor. Duo was getting more and more confused by the moment. He wasn't sure exactly what he expected. Wufei stopped at his bedroom door, as if contemplating what he was doing. Duo wanted to say something, but he was afraid if he did he might ruin his chances to see what Wufei was about to show him.

The Chinese man opened the door and led Duo in. It looked exactly the same way it did the first day he had peeked in. Nothing was out of place, and it was just as romantic as Duo remembered it. He was not sure why he was being taken into Wufei's room though. As they stepped into the middle of the room Wufei turned to face him. "What I am about to show you is the reason why we cannot be together." He turned around and headed to the bed. Duo followed close behind, eager to find out what was so horrible. Wufei bent down and grasped onto something under the bed. He pulled out a drawer that was on wheels and was the same length of the bed. The items inside the drawer shocked and filled Duo with excitement.

The drawer was filled with various bondage items. On the furthest end there was a wooden cane with evenly spaced knots that looked like it was made out of a long piece of bamboo. Beside that was what looked like a metal spreader bar with leather cuffs on each end. Next to it was a long handled riding crop followed by something that looked like a cattle prod. In the middle of the drawer was a multi-tailed whip with metal beads on the ends, handcuffs and black collars with various rings and chains. Beside them were clamps of various shapes and sizes, some hooked to chains. The last items in the drawer were leather cuffs and straps with hooks for suspension on the ceiling. Duo looked up and noticed the hooks and rings on the ceiling. He would never have guessed they were there. In fact, if Wufei had never showed him any of this he would not have thought it would be there. Duo understood what Wufei meant about a dark side. This indeed was dark, but it did not seem to bother him. He was, in fact, quite turned on by the sight of the items in the drawer.

He looked up at the Chinese man who was watching him intently. Their eyes connected and for a moment Duo wanted to jump the other man. He held back, deciding it best to use his words to convey his thoughts. "So, why can't we be together again?"

Wufei sighed and pushed the drawer in and sat on the bed. Duo sat down at the other end of the bed, not wanting to sit too close to the other man. "Because Duo you were in an abusive relationship, and I do not think that starting a relationship like this would be good for you."

Duo was taken aback. "You can think what you want Wufei, but did it ever occur to you that I might like this kind of thing? Bondage is different then abuse. I'm sure you know this." It was not often that Duo took something so seriously. He truly was okay with all the items in the drawer and still did not want to back down from making something happen between the two of them.

"I am very aware of that Duo. My fear is that doing some of these things might bring back bad memories from your time with Heero." Wufei shifted on the bed as if he were uncomfortable.

"Well, if anything were to happen between us, I'm sure you wont use your fists like Heero always did. I'm sure I can tell the difference between the items in the drawer and a fist." Duo stared at Wufei, unwilling to give up.

Wufei sighed and rubbed his temples. "You will not give this up, will you Duo?" Duo shook his head, a determined look on his face. Wufei sighed again. "You are aware that a relationship involving bondage is not the same as other relationships?"

Duo nodded. "And I'm sure you can fill me in on all the details." Duo scooted closer to Wufei, excitement welling up inside of him. As he moved closer, he noticed a change in Wufei's body language. He could see the hesitation and understood by the look in Wufei's eyes that he was still unsure if it was okay for them to be together. Duo took Wufei's hand in his and smiled at the Chinese man. "Don't worry Wufei, I can handle this. I'm okay, trust me."

There was a light in Wufei's eyes, almost like a fire had ignited there. Duo could sense that the other man wanted it, and he wanted it too. Suddenly Wufei's lips were on his own, killing him like his life depended on it. It was heated and rushed. Duo dove in, not having felt passion so strong in a long time. They wanted each other, it was evident in the way their lips and tongues moved together. Wufei's hand made its way into Duo's hair and the brunette held onto the Chinese mans muscular arms. The kiss was amazing and Duo wanted it to last forever, but Wufei pulled away panting slightly. He stared into Duo's needy eyes.

"Are you sure you are okay with this?" Wufei asked, concern flashing in his eyes. Duo nodded, a heady look in his eyes. Wufei leaned in and kissed him again, this time with more care. He gently pushed Duo back onto the bed, straddling his waist and pulling his hand out of the brunettes hair. The kiss deepened and their hands roamed across each other's arms and chests. Wufei pulled away and looked into his eyes again. They were both breathing heavy from the kiss. There was a look in Duo's eyes, pleading with the other man to continue. Wufei let his hands trail down to Duo's waist and ran his fingers softly across the skin between his shirt and jeans. Duo squirmed under him. Wufei smirked before pulling the brunette's shirt up and over his head. The shirt was tossed aside carelessly. When Duo moved to pull Wufei's shirt off, the Chinese man grabbed him by the wrists and pinned his arms to the bed.

"But..."

"No. I want to have fun." There was a fierce emotion in his eyes that made Duo shiver.

The Chinese man moved away and climbed off him before pulling the drawer under the bed out. He grabbed the pair of handcuffs and proceeded to cuff Duo's hands above his head. Duo's eyes lit up, eager to know what was going to happen next. He had never had his hands taken away from him during any sexual act. He had been forced to do most of the work at the beginning. He watched as Wufei slowly unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. His erection was clearly visible through the jeans. The Chinese man slowly pulled his jeans and boxers off. His erection sprang to life and Duo flushed. Here he was completely naked for the first time in front of him, and Wufei was completely clothed, and the latter did not seem to be changing anytime soon. Wufei smiled at him as he admired the view.

"Before we continue, we need a safe word. Something that you will say if I am hurting you beyond your limit or you do not want to continue with the action. Is there a word you would like to use?" Wufei inquired, staring at his exposed body.

Duo stared at him for a moment, his mind racing. A safe word? He had a fairly high threshold for pain, but if it was something that needed to be done he could come up with something. Before another thought went through his head he blurted out, "Strawberry." ]

Wufei's eyebrow perked up. "Strawberry? Any particular reason you chose that word?"

"Um, it was the first thing that came to mind right now." His eyes were filled with innocence. He wondered if Wufei was going to laugh, but he had never seen that happen before. He doubted a silly word would make him laugh.

"Strawberry it is then." Wufei reached back into the drawer and pulled out the riding crop before pushing the drawer back under the bed. "Do you feel comfortable starting off with this?"

He looked at it, wondering what Wufei planned to do with it. He swallowed. "What are you going to do with it?"

"I am not going to tell you. Answer the question."

Duo looked at the instrument in the other mans hand. It looked safe enough, at least it was not the cattle prod. That thing looked scary. He finally nodded his head. Wufei smiled, something that Duo was finding he enjoyed watching. He had never seen Wufei smile until he had stripped him of his clothing. The chinese man grabbed him by the wrists again and pulled him up into a sitting position before helping him to stand. He spun him around so that his back was facing him and placed his hands high on one of the end posts of the bed. Duo held on, slightly uncomfortable with the fact that he was unable to see what Wufei was doing behind him. For a long time he heard nothing and he fought the urge to look back. What is Wufei doing behind me, he wondered. Suddenly he felt the careful touch of soft leather of the crop gently glide down his back. He almost jumped at the unexpected touch. It was soft though and he relazed as the leather moved slowly down his back and across his rear end. This isn't so bad, he thought. This thought quickly vanished when the leather disappeared only to quickly come back down on his backside sparply. He almost yelped as it disappeared again and came back with the same force. It was not painful but it stung him a little. He found himself surprisingly aroused. After three sharp strikes, the crop was grazing across the now pink skin of his cheeks. Duo shivered and groaned. He felt the warmth of Wufei's bodey close to his.

"You like that?" Wufei whispered in his ear.

"Yes." Duo blurted out before he could even think. The heat from Wufei's body was gone and there was a long moment where nothing happened. Witout warning, the leather crop hit hard against his bottom causing him to cry out. The pain was not unbearable but it was something he was not used to. The leather struck him again and again with the same ferocity. Duo cried out with every blow until he was holding onto the pole for dear life and pleading with his assailant. His member twitched with every blow; he could hardly believe how good it could feel to be struck in such a way.

"What do you want Duo? Tell me what you want." Wufei growled and struck him again.

"You! I want you!" Duo exclaimed.

"Want me to what?"

"Take me. Fuck me!" Duo amost shouted it. He wanted it so bad. There was a rustling behind him and he contemplated looking back, but he was not sure if he was supposed to. He almosted asked what the other man was doing when a cold lubed finger entered him. He gasped. The finger slowly moved in and out and he began to squirm. A second finger entered hijm, stretching him. Finally, a third finger joined the other two and worked him. He was panting, desperate for more. He whimpered and pushed back against the fingers.

"Are you ready?" Wufei whispered in his ear, his fingers still moving in and out. Duo nodded, fearful of waht his voice would sound like at that moment. "Tell me."

"Oh please fuck me, Wufei," Duo pleaded.

The fingers were gone instantly, and somthing larger was pushing against his entrence. He took a breath and forced himself to relax. Slowly, he was filled. When Wufei was inside of him compleatly, he stilled to let Duo adjust. The brunette was almost panting.

"Whatever you do, do not let go of that post." Wufei growled before pulling out and slamming back into him. Duo cried out and held onto the post as tight as possible. Wufei pulled out and slammed back into him again creating a fierce rhythm. The brunette screamed in pleasure. "Don't come until I tell you you can." The words themselves almost made Duo orgasm and he bit his lip hard to hold back. The mere idea of being told to not orgasm was a huge turn on to him. He fought against the building urge as Wufei pounded into him relentlessly.

Finally he could take no more and he chocked out," I can't!" before releasing himself. Wufei followed quickly after, releasing his seed inside the other man. He gently drew Duo away from the post into his arms before pulling out of him slowly and turning him around.

"Sorry," Duo muttered.

"It is okay. You did good for your first time." Wufei took a key off the bed and unlocked the cuffs before taking them away. "Go clean up."

Duo nodded and left the room. As he was in the bathroom he reflected on what had just happened. He had no idea that being cuffed and fucked could be so pleasurable. He was a little sore but the experience over all had been amazing. It was something he looked forward to doing again. When he returned to the room, Wufei was getting dresssed. The items had been put away and everything looked clean. The only mess was the pile of his clothing that sat beside the bed. He grabbed them and quickly dressed as Wufei watched him.

"So?" Wufei eyed him, uncertainty in his features.

Duo sat on the bed. "That was amazing."

"I am glad you feel that way." He sat down beside him.

"So, are we like a couple now?" The brunette looked at him sheepishly.

"If that is waht you want Duo, then yes. You do understand that this will cause new problems for you."

Duo nodded. "I know. Heero is going to go crazy when he finds out." He frowned at the though.

"Hey," Wufei took his hand, a stern look on his face, "You do not have to worry about him. I said I would not let him touch you again and I never go back on my word."

Duo smiled. He finally felt a sense of safety. He would not have to live in fear anymore

_End Chapter_

AN: Sorry if I over use names. I struggle with making sure who is who is known. Also I apologize for any spelling errors near the end as I used FanFiction's spell check and it stopped correcting about 3/4 of the way down. Thanks for all the feedback so far :)


	10. Chapter 10

**_Chapter Ten_**

Later that day, Wufei was in the library while Duo sat in the living room contemplating what to say to his friends. He wasn't quite sure who to call first. He figured he would call Quatre first since there was so much more to tell him. He dialed the number he had in memory and waited for the bold to answer.

"Hello, this is Quatre Winner. How can I help you?" A sweet voice almost sang over the phone.

"Hey Quat, its Duo."

"Oh My Gosh! Duo, are you okay? What happened? You have to tell me every detail!" Quatre screeched and Duo smiled. He started in on the long story of why he left, his road trip, and even the unexpected arrival of Heero. The blond was shocked and empathetic, as he always was. Duo paused when he informed the Arab he had been transferred to the eastern division of Proventors.

"So, you'll be working with Wufei then? That's cool."

"Yeah, its pretty good." Duo hesitated. He was not sure if he should tell Quatre that him and Wufei were a couple now.

"What's up Duo? You're holding something back. You know I can tell."

"Well," Duo sighed, "Long story short, a lot happened the past twenty four hours and Wufei and I are a couple now." The last few words spewed out of his mouth as fast as he could talk.

There as a moment of silence before, "That sounds amazing Duo, but do you think that's a good idea? You just left Heero. Jumping into a new relationship like that can be a bad idea." Concern was thick in the Arab's voice.

Duo smiled. "I know Quat, but this is different. I'm over Heero. I've been over him for a long time now. The only thing that kept me with him was fear, and I'm not afraid anymore."

"I just worry about you is all. My heart would just break if you got hurt again."

"I know, but try not to worry. I will be fine. Wufei is an awesome guy, you know that.

"I know that, but at the same time I thought I knew Heero. Come to find out I don't really know him at all. I will try not to worry, but you know it will be hard."

"Yeah, he's a totally different person then he makes it seem. Anyway, thanks for being such a great friend Quat."

"You're welcome Duo. I am always here for you if you need me. So, how are things going way over there anyway?"

"Good. I start working again on Monday."

"Will you and Wufei be working together?"

"I don't think so. Why?"

"No reason. Hey! I have a question for you."

"Shoot."

"Well in about a month, a little over a month actually, I am having a party. I've invited a lot of people who were in the war. Diplomats, high standing officers and some pilots that we directly worked with. Do you think you and Wufei can make it?"

Duo hesitated before speaking what was on his mind. "The only problem is I just took two weeks off work. I'm not sure they will give me more time off for that kind of thing."

"Who do you report to there, if you don't mind me asking."

Duo thought. He had no idea. He had not looked at his paperwork at all. "Hold on," he said and grabbed the papers that were on side table. He shuffled through them until he found what he was looking for. "Looks like Sally is my boss."

"Oh good! She will most defiantly let you go. I already invited her and a ton of people from that division of Proventors. I can call her and arrange it so that the two of you can come. You just need to convince Wufei to come." Quatre giggled.

"Yeah ,but I think I can manage." He smiled before a thought passed by him. "Hey Quat, did you invite Heero?"

There was a a small gasp. "Yes, but I had no idea what was going on between the two of you. He hasn't RSVP'ed yet. Will it be a problem if he shows up?"

Duo fought back a rise of fear and thought for a second. He had Wufei now, so even if he did run into Heero he would be okay. He did not need to be afraid anymore. "Yes, I think it will be fine. I'll talk to Wufei about it and get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks Quatre. I gotta call Hildie so I'll talk to you later. Bye."

"Okay, take care Duo. Bye."

The call ended and Duo sighed. He wondered if it would be a good idea to go to Quatre's get together. He knew he was safe with Wufei, and he trusted him. There was something he was unsure of though. He could not pinpoint exactly. Duo pushed the feeling aside and called Hildie. He told her everything that happened after they parted ways. The conversation was not nearly as long as the one he had with Quatre. Duo had decided to leave out Quatre's party invitation. He did not want Hildie worrying as well. He wondered if she had been invited as well though. The conversation ended and Duo sat there looking at his cell phone. Now he had to convince Wufei to go to the party. Maybe if he just asked. He stood and made his way to the library. Wufei was sitting at the desk surrounded by paperwork. Duo wondered if this was how his job always was. Then again, as a field agent the weekends did not stop Duo from working either.

"Hey Wufei, you busy?" Duo inquired, leaning in the doorway.

Wufei looked up from the papers. "No more then usual. What do you need?" He set the pen he was holding down and leaned back in the chair.

Duo stepped in. It was the first time he had actually entered the room. It was the size of a large bedroom with shelves of books lining two walls. The wall behind Wufei held a window and the wall behind Duo had the door. These two walls were empty otherwise. The beautiful mahogany desk took center stage in the room with two comfortable looking chairs placed in front of it. Duo sat in one of the chairs.

"Well, Quatre invited us to a large get together of war vets. It's in a little over a month. What do you say about going?"

Wufei looked at him. "I am not sure Duo. You just took two weeks off work. Do you think it wise to take more time off?"

"Well Quatre said Sally and a bunch of higher ups were going and he would straighten it out so we could take the time off. Plus, I'm not even sure of the days."

"Very well, but will Heero be there?"

"Duo's eyebrows furrowed. "Quat doesn't know yet, but why should I let him ruin my time? I can't let him haunt me for the rest of my life."

"This is true, but at the same time you cannot let your guard down. You should already know that Duo."

"I know, and I haven't let it down, but I wont let him control me anymore."

"Alright, if you think you can handle it we will go. Please find out when it will be."

Duo jumped up, a smile on his face. "I'll let you know Fei-Fei." He got a glare for using the nickname and he rushed out of the room. The rest of the day went calmly. Wufei finished up his work and had helped Duo come up with a plan to get his belongings all the way from Sacramento. He would have to travel over there and have a moving company take care of his things. They decided that when they went to Quatre's party they would make the trip down. After a dinner of steamed dumplings and pork lo mein that Wufei made, Duo was in the guest room trying to figure out if he should move his items into Wufei's room or not. He decided it would be best to ask before he did anything too drastic. He went in search of the Chinese man and found him in the living room reading a book.

"Hey Fei," the man in question looked up at him. "Well, I was wondering if I'm gunna stay here or get my own place?"The question was awkward. They had just started dating and even though they were staying together at the moment, it did not mean Wufei wanted it to stay that way.

"You can move your things into my room. I will make room." Wufei stood and lead the way upstairs. As he moved things around in his room, Duo gathered his clothing into his suit case. He did not have much, but more would be coming soon enough. When Duo was finished putting his clothing away in the walk in closet, he turned to admire the beauty of the room he would now be sleeping in. He noticed Wufei leaning on the end post of the bed, arms crossed and watching him.

Duo smiled. "What ya thinkin' about?"

The Chinese man said nothing. Instead he pushed himself off the pole and approached Duo. He took the brunettes face in his and hands and kissed him tenderly. Duo's breath hitched and he kissed back eagerly. Wufei pulled him against his body and pulled him away from the closet. He lead him back to the bed and only broke the kiss to remove their shirts. They were out of breath and Wufei stared into his eyes.

"Is there anything you do not want to do from the drawer?" Wufei looked at him seriously.

Duo thought for a moment. He knew that he had to take this situation seriously. If he chose wrong, he could end up getting hurt. He looked at Wufei. "Well, to be honest that thing that looks like a cattle prod is kind of scary looking, and I don't think I am ready for the spreader bar in there."

A wicked looking smile crept across Wufei's face. "Very well. You are okay with everything else right now?" Duo nodded, weary of what Wufei was thinking. Wufei spun them and laid Duo down on the bed. He then moved away and pulled the drawer out. He produced two pairs of handcuffs and cuffed the brunette to the headboard with finesse. Duo watched him intently, eager. Wufei disappeared back into the drawer and pulled out a pair of metal clamps. They were small and had a pin in them so that they could be adjusted. Duo watched curiously. Wufei leaned over him and gently placed the clamps on his perked up nipples. Duo inhaled sharply. They hurt a little, but it felt good at the same time. He found it hard to stay still as Wufei slowly pulled his pants and boxers off. His erection stood at attention, weeping and begging for attention. Wufei trailed a finger up his leg, passed his member by and flicked one of the clamps. Duo moaned.

The Chinese man pulled the bamboo cane out of the drawer and closed it. Duo's eyes grew slightly bigger. Wufei slowly trailed the cane along his legs and chest, gently teasing him. Without warning he struck across his thighs. Duo gasped. It had hurt, but the pain was like the pain from the riding crop. It stung a little and felt good at the same time. He was struck again across the nipples. With every blow he gasped in pain and pleasure. The torture continued across his body, leaving his skin red. His skin felt like it was on fire.

Wufei stepped back and admired the view. Duo squirmed under the scrutiny. A delicious smile was playing on Wufei's lips and he wanted to kiss him. The Chinese man stripped down, grabbed a small bottle from the bedside table and climbed onto the bed. He pushed the brunette's legs apart and knelt between them. Duo was nearly panting he was so eager for Wufei to be inside of him. Wufei pushed his legs up so that they were bent and he was exposed. Duo watched as Wufei lubed his fingers and slowly inserted one finger inside of him. The brunette closed his eyes and threw his head back. The finger moved in and out before being joined by a second one.

Wufei thrusted his fingers in and out of him and Duo moaned. The fingers disappeared and were quickly replaced by Wufei's erect member. Duo gasped at the sudden change of size and squirmed against him. Wufei began to move in and out of him, creating a rhythm. The pace quickened and Wufei grabbed onto Duo's member, pumping it. Their breathing was heavy and their movement hurried.

"Oh god! Wufei!" Duo exclaimed, arching his back.

"Come for me Duo. Come for me!" Wufei growled. Duo cried out and orgasmed into Wufei's hand. Wufei thrust into him once more before releasing inside of him. They were both panting. Wufei pulled out of the other man and moved to remove the clamps and handcuffs. "We need to shower. Come on," Wufei took Duo's hand and pulled him up off the bed. They made their way to the bathroom. Wufei started the water and they both climbed into the shower. They helped each other wash in silence. As they cleaned Duo reveled in his situation. He had gotten out of a horrible relationship and into one that was different but made him happy. He never would have thought that Wufei would be into bondage, but it was exciting and new. The care that the he showed him was something he was not used to. Wufei was not an overly affectionate person, and Duo understood this so he did not expect all the lovey dovey stuff outside of the bedroom. He knew that Wufei cared for him though and that filled him with joy. He wondered what the relationship would be like though. He had lived in fear for so long. He would just have to wait and see what happened.

End Chapter

AN: I feel like this last sex scene is lacking, and for that I am sorry. I will try harder with the next one.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: This chapter has been re-posted as I somehow missed the last few lines of the chapter and without them it doesn't seem to wrap up properly.**

**_Chapter Eleven_**

It was Monday morning and Duo was finishing up the cereal he had gotten himself; Wufei had already left for work. His paper work had told him he was to meet Sally at 9am and then his work day would begin. He was excited to get back to work and find out who his new partner would be. His old partner was Heero, and of course that did not go well. He was excited to get back into the field again. He finished up in the kitchen when he was done before heading out. He got into his new car and started it up. He smiled. He was happy he had purchased it.

As he drove to the Preventors Eastern Division Headquarters, PEDH for short, he reflected on what Wufei had told him. He said that all Duo needed to do was show his ID at the receptionist desk when he arrived and he would be given a temporary pass until his permanent ID card was worked out later that day. He was filled with confidence and excitement. He pulled into the parking garage beside the tall building and found a place to park on the fourth level. He made his way down to the bottom level before stepping out into the early morning sunshine. He looked up at the thirty two story building. It was sleek and it looked like it was made of nothing but glass windows. It was the same design the building he used to work in had. It was nothing new to him. He proceeded toward the entrance, throwing around ideas of what his new partner might be like.

When he stepped into the entrance he was greeted by a large atrium. On both sides there were elevators and directly in front of him was a large reception desk. Seated at the desk were three women that looked to be in their early to late twenties. They were all beautiful and had head sets for talking on the phone hands free. He stepped up to the one in the middle and waited for her to notice him. All three women were talking on the phone, so he was not surprised that it took the woman a moment to deal with him. When she was finally finished she looked up at him with a smile.

"Hello, Welcome to Preventors. What can I do for you this morning Sir?" Her smile was sweet and genuine. It warmed Duo and he smiled back.

"Hi. Today is my first day at this location and I don't have an ID card yet." He dug into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He opened it and produced his ID before handing it to her. The woman took it and looked at it for a moment before consulting the computer in front of her. There was a moment before she handed it back.

"Okay, everything looks to be in order." She handed him a card that held the companies name on it and a magnetic strip on the back and was connected to a clip. "You will need to use this to get through to the elevators. When you get your permanent one you will be able to access certain areas of the building that this current card will not allow you into." She looked at him for a second, seeming to take note of the t-shirt and slacks he was wearing, though her kind cheerful expression did not change. "Who do you need to go see sir?"

"Oh, I need to meet with Master Sergeant Sally Po."

"Okay, take the elevators on the left and you want to go to the fifth floor. When you get out of the elevator you want to take a right and head all the way down the hall way, take a left at the fork and at the end of that hallway will be Master Sergeant Sally's office."

He looked at her for a moment, taking in the directions. They were easy enough. "Thanks!" He exclaimed before turning and heading towards the elevators to his left. On both sides of the atrium, before the elevators, were ropes, metal detectors and officers waiting for check each person coming through. It was the same as the west division. They took no chances with weapons unless specifically issued by the company. Duo made his way through the process quickly, having anticipated it. He boarded one of the elevators and hit the number five. He had been joined by only a few other people, and only had to stop one time before he was at his floor. He stepped out and followed the directions he had been given. As he walked down the halls, he found cubicles of the Field Agents to his left. Some were empty, but many were occupied. When he took a left at the fork, he noticed closed office's to his right. He made his way down the hall and soon he was standing before a simple door that would lead him to his meeting.

He peaked through the window in the door and saw a small room with a desk with a young lady he had never seen before sitting at it. She must be a secretary, he thought to himself. He stepped back and looked down at himself. Maybe he had dressed a little too casually, but he figured he would be getting a field agents uniform soon enough so something simple did not seem like a bad idea at the time. Shrugging, he knocked on the door before opening it and stepping in. The young lady looked up at him, smiling just as big as the lady at the reception desk.

"Hello." She greeted.

"Hi."

"Do you have a meeting with Ms. Sally, sir?"

He closed the door behind him. "Yes I do, at nine o'clock. My name is Duo Maxwell." He smiled at her.

"Oh yes, she has been waiting for you. Go on ahead sir."

Duo looked at the clock on the wall. It was only eight forty five. He was fifteen minutes early, but Sally had been waiting for him. He was a little confused, but proceeded through the door that the secretary had indicated.

The office was far too large for one person, but Sally dominated the space. She sat in the back left corner of the office, at a angle so that whomever sat behind it could enjoy the view from the massive wall of windows. Opposite of the desk, in the corner to Duo's right, was a small table with two chairs. In front of the desk were two more chairs. Sally looked up at him as he entered. She smiled and he smiled back. It had been almost three years since he had last seen her.

"Good morning, Duo. Please, take a seat." She gestured towards the two hairs in front of her desk. He stepped forward and took one of the chairs. It was comfortable and made of soft leather. "Well, let me first start off by welcoming you to the Eastern Division of Preventors Headquarters. We are happy to have you."

"It's a pleasure to be here," Duo smiled.

"Well, how about we get started right away. When you're information was transferred here, you were given a promotion. It was a decision made by both myself and Sergeant Major Noin. You're new title is Staff Sergeant."

Duo blinked, totally blown away. He had been promoted, and had skipped 2 promotions all together. Why had they promoted him though? It didn't make sense. He would have to ask when Sally was done with her speech.

"Of course, with the promotion comes new job duties. You will no longer be a field agent. You will have an office of your own and will have two teams of field agents reporting to you. Your new duties will entail handing missions from me to your teams, filing and reporting your teams reports, as well as connecting your teams with necessary contacts and other required services. You have been given two teams to start off with, and from there you will work your way up to more and a possible promotion to Sergeant First Class."

Duo's mind was reeling. All this information was too much for him. He wasn't going to be a field agent anymore, and he would have to do more work then he had ever imagined? It was the same amount of work as before, just a different format. It was all paper work, and that was something he did not want to do. He loved working in the field, his place was not behind a desk. He realized she had said he could get promoted up another level. Wufei was a Sergeant First Class. He wondered if he worked with teams of field agents or if he did something more exciting.

"I'm sorry, I'm a little confused," Duo confessed. "Why am I no longer a field agent?"

"That's simple Duo. We have enough field agents here, and there is a need for the position that you have been currently given. You were given this promotion because you are highly qualified, and to keep you as a field agent would be wasting your talent Duo. I hope you are in agreeance with this promotion Duo, and I hope you plan to keep it. The pay is almost a fifty percent increase."

Duo looked at her, still in shock. This is not what he had planned at all. He thought he would walk in there and find out who his partner was and who he would be reporting to. Instead, he was the one that would be getting reported to. The idea was weird. To him it was not about the money though. He had enjoyed his job before, outside of the issues he had with Heero. He sighed.

"Okay, I'll give it a try."

Sally's smile grew big. She was clearly happy he was taking the position. He was not sure he felt the same though. It was a big responsibility, not that his previous job hadn't been. He just was not sure if he was up for the challenges that he was about to face. With that, the meeting was over and she was ushering him out of the office and telling the secretary to show him to him to his new office. He was lead by the young lady to a room a few offices down from Sally's. The young lady left him as he opened the door and stepped in.

He looked around. It was not nearly as big as Sally's, but it was a decent size. It had an oak desk with a cushioned chair behind it and two less comfortable looking chairs in front of it. A modern computer sat off to the side on the desk to make room for filling out paper work and such. There was also a small lamp on the desk. There was a filing cabinet to the right of the door and a plant on the left. Duo wondered if it was real or just for show. The windows behind the desk filled the entire wall just like in Sally's office. It was not a bad office, Duo had to be honest with himself, and he knew that he he had a lot of work ahead of him but he was sure he could manage it.

Duo stepped further in and noticed a piece of paper on the desk. He walked behind the desk and sat down before taking a look at the paper. On it there was an agenda, though there were no times. At the top of the paper there was a list of computer programs he had to get set up on this computer and how to go about doing so. After that, there was a list of four Field Agents that he had to meet with that day at some point in time. Below this was a list of Sergeant First Class and Staff Sergeants that could assist him if he needed any help. Duo took a deep breath and sighed.

He decided it would be best to start at the top, so he booted the computer up and set to work. It was almost lunch time when he finished doing his computer work. He stomach was growling at him and he regretted eating only cereal for breakfast. Cereal never filled him up for long enough. He stoop up and stretched before wondering what he should do about lunch. He figured now that he had gotten a promotion he did not have a set time for lunch, but he also knew that he could not take an hour long lunch. He then realized he had no idea where the cafeteria was in the building. He wondered if he could find someone help him. He proceeded out of his office. Just as he was stepping out of his office, he ran into something short and papers went everywhere

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" Duo exclaimed and scrambled to pick up papers.

"Oh! It's okay. This happens a lot," a quiet voice sighed. When all the papers were gathered up, Duo stood and handed them over.

The young woman was short, Duo guessed about five foot and one inch. She had long curly hair that cascaded down her back. Piercing brown eyes looked up at him. She looked Hispanic, but he was not exactly sure on that. She was dressed in the Preventors blue and white Field Agent uniform. Despite the catastrophe she had a small smile on her face.

"Thank you."

"Not a problem. It was my fault anyway."

"Are you new here? I don't think I've seen you around." The woman shifted the papers in her arms to get a better grip on them.

Duo scratched his head, fighting a smile. "Yeah, I transferred from the Western Division."

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you..." She trailed off, not sure how to address him.

"Duo. Um," Duo faltered, "Staff Sergent Maxwell that is."

"Oh!" She gave a quick salute, before grabbing onto the papers she was trying to keep from falling once again. "Specialist Menton, Sir"

"Do you have a first name Specialist Menton?" Duo fought back another smile. The young woman was charming.

"Oh, yes. It's Samantha. It's a pleasure to meet you sir. I must get going though."

"Wait!" Samantha had just started walking away but his sudden outburst caused her to turn and look at him questioningly. "I was wondering if you could tell me where the cafeteria is? It's my first day here and I have no idea where anything is."

A sweet smile graced her lips. "I can show you where it is, Sir. Do you mind if I drop these papers off at my desk, Sir?"

Duo cringed. He did not like being called Sir by someone. He had never had a position high enough for anyone to really care. It would definitely take some getting used to. "Of course, I'll just wait here." It did not take long for the young woman to leave him and return back free of the stack of papers.

"Okay, do you have an access card?"

"Uh, yeah. It's a temporary one though."

"That's okay. Those work for one day, but after that you have to use a permanent one. Has anyone told you how to get a permanent card, Sir?" They began to walk towards the elevators.

"No. The receptionist downstairs mentioned it, but I haven't been given any information on that."

They stepped into the elevator. "Okay, well after we something to eat I can take you to the tech department. They can get you hooked up with a permanent access card." She pushed the number sixteen button. "So, because there are so many people working here they have designated two floors to the cafeteria. Level sixteen and seventeen. They request that the people working on the first 15 floors go to the calfeteria on level sixteen. They have it designed so that between eleven and one o'clock certain floors are set go to lunch. Since we are on floor five we take lunch with floors four and six at twelve o'clock. It's a very efficient and effective system."

Duo nodded, mulling the information over. They rode the elevator up to the sixteenth floor in silence. When they stepped out, they made their way down a hallway that lead to the cafeteria. On the left side of the large room there was a line of workers that lead to the kitchen area where they were gathering their lunch. The rest of the room was filled with tables and chairs and it was larger then any dinning area Duo had ever seen. The Western Division was smaller and therefore did not have to accommodate so many people. The room could have been better, but Duo knew that in reality there were actually 4 cafeterias; 2 for each side of the building. He could hardly believe that half of a floor was dedicated to a cafeteria. Samantha lead Duo to the line and they waited. Once they had gotten their food they made their way back out to the dinning area and found an empty table to eat at.

"You don't have to worry about paying for your food, because everyone who has a card gets their meal free. They say that the idea behind it is that a fed employee works better." Samantha laughed and continued to eat.  
Duo took a bite of his turkey sandwich and observed his surroundings. It was not this nice at the Western Division of Preventors, then again the Eastern Division had more funding since it was the Head Quarters for all Preventors. Duo shrugged and finished his lunch. Samantha seemed to have finished as well.

"Would you like to take you to the tech department so that you can get a permanent access card, sir?" She asked as they took care of their trays.

"That would be great, thank you." He smiled and she smiled back.

"It's not a problem, Sir." She lead him back to the elevator where she hit the number two button. Duo logged that into his memory, as well as the cafeteria time and location. The ride down was silent. Duo was unsure what to say to the woman. The silence felt awkward to him, but soon enough they had arrived at the second floor and were exiting the elevator. "It can get pretty confusing on this floor to be honest," the young woman laughed.

Duo looked out on the floor to see a maze of computer servers. He wondered where all the computer techs were if the floor was nothing but servers. He looked at her, a skeptical look on his face. She laughed.

"The servers are all in the center of this floor, so you have to walk the outer edges to find the techs." They took a right out of the elevator and made their way to the offices along the outer wall. Duo shivered due to the air conditioning that was pumping into the room. He knew that this floor had to be kept cold for the servers, and he was glad he did not work on the second floor. Samantha knocked on one of the doors and waited for a response. Soon after, the door opened to reveal a young man of about five foot eleven and looked to be in his mid-twenties. He was thin but muscular with rectangular glasses and had dark brown hair with eyes that matched. His hair was done in a mow hawk style but it was not spiked. He was dressed in black pants, a white polo shirt and black converse shoes. Duo blinked a few times. The man was handsome.

"Staff Sergeant Maxwell, this is Private First Class Lockwood. He is one of the best techs that the Preventors has." She was smiling big. Duo had a feeling that she liked the Private.

The private extended his hand and Duo shook it. "Pleasure to meet you, Sir. What can I help you with?"

"It seems I am in need of a permanent access card." Duo smiled.

"I can help you with that, Sir. Do you have your temporary card on you?"

"Oh, yeah." Duo dug into his pocket and produced the card. He handed it over to the man. The man took it and walked back into his office. Duo followed. The office was much smaller then his own. It had a desk with a computer on it and a chair. There was a lot of other equipment on the desk that Duo was not familiar with, but he figured it had something to do with making new access cards. The man sat down at his desk before swiping the card on a machine and going to work on his computer. A few short moments later he opened a drawer of his desk and produced a card that was very different from the one Duo originally had. The card was white like the first one, but the company logo was in the center with the words "Preventors East Division" circling it. Below it were the words "Staff Sergeant Special Access". The young man swiped the card on the same machine as before and went to work on his computer once again. It only took a minute before he stood and passed the card to Duo.

"I have integrated all of your information onto the card. As you know, much of this information is confidential so remember to keep this card safe. If you need to know any special areas you can access you will have to ask Master Sergeant Po. I unfortunately do not have access to that kind of information."

"Thanks!" Duo exclaimed, a cheery smile on this face.

"Not a problem, Sir. If there is anything you need you may come to me." He turned to Samantha and nodded to her. "Specialist Menton, have a pleasant day."

Duo smiled. He was sure there was something going on there, but it was not his place to say anything. Instead he turned and made his way back to the elevators. The young woman followed him quickly. He was ready to get back to work. He still had to meet with his field agents. He tried to remember their names, but could not. He shrugged it off and headed up to the fifth was starting to get excited about his job, even though he wouldn't be working out in the field. He had a good feeling that things in his life were heading down the right track for once.

_End Chapter_


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: I'm sorry it took so long to get this next chapter up. I had no idea it was going to take me so to long finish this chapter, but I've been plagued with a ton of other story ideas. The end of this chapter has been something that I have been working to get to since the beginning of the story but it was harder than I had anticipated**

**I want to thank those of you who have taken the time to review this story. I really appreciate it. I hope that I can continue this story and not fall behind any more then I already have.**

**Chapter Twelve**

It had been a productive month for Duo. He had worked well with his two teams and within a few weeks Sergeant Noin had given him two more teams to work with. He had handled them well, and was excelling despite the fact that he still longed to be out in the field working along side his field agents. His relationship with Wufei was growing, slowly but steadily. It had been an amazing month for him. Though Wufei was not very open with emotions, Duo felt comfortable and safe with him. They worked through issues and shared amazing moments with each other almost every night. It was something that was so different for Duo that he was still getting used to how surreal it all was. Wufei was patient with him though, and Duo was more happy than he had been in years.

During that month, the invitation had come for Quatre's get together and Duo was looking forward to it. Quatre had been true to his word and had managed to get Duo the time off to attend. He had already paid for their plane tickets to leave on a Friday morning. He and Wufei had decided that they would stay Friday night for the party and depart Saturday morning to get Duo's belongings in Sacramento. They had already arranged with a moving company to meet them. The only obstacle would be Heero, and despite the safe feeling he got when he was Wufei, Duo became more and more anxious as the date to leave grew closer.

The night before they were scheduled to leave, Duo was putting the last few items in his suit case. Wufei was down making dinner, some Chinese dish no doubt. Duo stared at the items in his suit case that lay on the bed. He had a few changes of clothing and toiletries. They were not going to be gone long, so he did not feel the need to put much more. As he stared at the clothing, his attention drifted and he began to think of what would happen at the party. He wondered if Heero would be there. What would he say to him? What would he do if he found out that Duo was now seeing Wufei. Not that he could do anything to change it, but there was still stuff he was capable of doing. Duo shuddered at the thought, remembering the times when Heero had beaten him. He wasn't sure if he was ready to see Heero again, and he prayed with all his might that he decided not to attend the party. Quatre had never gotten back to him about that, and it was weighing on him heavily. Duo was spacing out, thoughts swirling in his head when a gentle touch on his shoulder startled him. He jumped and spun around. Wufei was looking at him warily.

"Are you okay, Duo? I called for dinner."

Duo sighed and sat down on the bed. "Sorry, Fei. I just have a lot of stuff going on in my head right now." Wufei sat down beside him, pushing the suit case aside. The Chinese man took his hand and squeezed it.

"Talk to me."

Duo looked at him with an anxious look on his face. "I'm worried, I guess. I can't stop thinking about what will happen if Heero shows up to Quatre's get together."

Wufei sighed. "Duo, we have talked about this. You do not need to worry about him. I will keep you safe."

"I know. I don't doubt you, but you know he's crazy. He's capable of doing things that no one would ever think of. He's the blooding fucking perfect soldier, and that's something he has never let go. I really wish Quatre could have just told me if he was going to show up or not."

"I believe that Quatre did not tell you because he himself still does not know. Heero never rsvp'ed."

"So in other words, I have to assume that he will show up so I can be prepared for the worst case scenario." Duo looked away and at the carpet. He felt Wufei squeeze his hand again and he looked up. There was a hint of fire in the Chinese mans eyes.

"Duo, you need to remember you are a former Gundam Pilot. You are also capable of doing things, and you have to stand up to him. He does not control your life anymore. You are the stealthiest among all of us. When we get there, if you and I get separated simply go into stealth mode if you have to. Think of it as a mission. Your goal is to not come into contact with Heero."

Duo smiled a little. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks, Fei." Duo jumped up and kissed Wufei quickly on the lips before running downstairs to get dinner.

xxxx

They had woken up early to get to the airport. Their flight had left at six in the morning and Wufei insisted they arrive thirty minutes early. Duo was not a fan of waking up at five in the morning just to get on a plane. He did not understand why Quatre had gotten them such an early flight. He understood that they had to get there before the party started, but did they have to wake up so damn early? The flight had lasted them nine and a half hours, with a one and a half hour layover in San Francisco. They arrived in Portland around one in the afternoon. There was a driver and car waiting for them and they were quickly on their way to Quatre's grand estate.

The drive took forty five minutes, but the scenery was worth the drive. When they pulled up to the mansion Duo was not surprised to see men and women rushing around decorating and preparing the grounds. He could only imagine what kind of chaos was taking place inside. He stepped out of the car and looked around, feeling anxious. He couldn't shake the feeling that he could run into Heero any minute, but he did his best to stay calm and collected as he followed Wufei inside. The inside of the mansion looked completely different from the last time he had been there. There were decorations strewn about and the maids were rushing around cleaning and putting everything in their proper place. Duo had never seen anything like it before. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of it all. He wondered how Quatre was handling it all.

"I wonder where Quatre is," Duo ponder out loud.

Wufei shrugged. "Why don't you go looking for him?"

"What are you going to do?"

"I have no idea. I will figure something out though. Quatre has plenty of things here to do."

Duo nodded and looked around at the chaos once more before deciding to go in search of his friend. It did not take him long to find the blond man. The brunette causally made his way into the large ballroom, eyeing the tables set up along the walls. He noticed a long table set up in front of a wall covered in windows. He knew later that night it would be filled with foods and drinks for the guests to enjoy. As he looked around he noticed his short friend standing at the end of the the table talking with an handful of servants. He made his way over to the group and waited for the conversation to end.

"I want the flowers to be placed evenly on the table, but I want there to be room for the food and drinks as well." Quatre was explaining, "Please make sure there is a center piece on every table." He looked around the group of men and women and noticed Duo standing off to the side. "Duo!" The blond left the group of men and women to work on decorating the room.

"Hey Quatre," Duo braced himself as his friend made his way to him and wrapped him in a tight hug.

"I'm so glad you're here. It feels like it's been forever!" The blond exclaimed.

"Yeah," Duo hesitated, remembering the way he had left the last time he was there. "I'm sorry about the last time I was here," Duo began.

"Don't even Duo." Quatre pulled away from the hug and held him at arms length. There was a serious look on his face. "You do not need to apologize for that. Now that I know what was going on I completely understand. I'm just happy you are here now and everything is better."

"Yeah," Duo smiled sheepishly. "So, this is gunna be a pretty big get together eh?"

"Yeah!" Quatre smiled and let the other man go before turning to look around at the work that was being done. "I invited a lot of people from the war, but also some politicians I know. There is going to be a lot of people here."

"You haven't thrown a party like this in quite some time," Duo commented, watching the servants set up chairs beside the small tables.

"I know. It's over due, but it can be difficult to get people together with busy schedules and such."

"Yeah." Duo hesitated. He wanted to ask Quatre if Heero was going to be showing up, but at the same time he didn't want to know the answer. What if his friend said yes, what would he do then? He was already there, he couldn't very well turn and leave. Not knowing was eating away at him though so he broke down and asked. "So, do you know if Heero is going to be here?"

Quatre looked at him with knowing eyes. "No, I'm sorry I don't. I wish I did. I sent him the invitation but he never rsvp'ed. He's still invited regardless, but there is not telling if he will show or not. Will you be okay if he does show up?"

"Yeah!" Duo plastered a smile on his face and brushed the question off. "Don't even worry about it, I was just wondering is all."

Quatre watched him for a moment, doubt evident in his eyes. He decided not to press the issue though.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Duo asked, trying to change the subject.

Quatre thought, "No, I think I have everything. There isn't much more to do really. You should go enjoy yourself before everyone arrives." The blond smiled at him.

Duo smiled back before leaving his friend to finish preparing the ball room. He wondered around the mansion aimlessly, watching as the servants cleaned and prepared every room despite the fact that most people would be in the ball room. He knew that the bottom floor of the mansion would be open for the guests to wonder, but most of the activity would take place in the ball room. He spent the rest of the afternoon wondering around the mansion, trying to keep himself occupied. It was around five thirty when he made his way upstairs to change into something more formal.

While he was in the room changing into a pair of black slacks and a nice button up black shirt he wondered where he lover had gone. He hadn't seen the other man all day and couldn't help but be curious as to what he had been up to all day. Just as he was about to leave the room though, the door swung open to reveal the hansom man.

He was already dressed in a pair of dark slacks and a cream colored button up shirt that was tucked into his pants. Duo smiled at the attractive sight.

"Hey," Duo backed up so that Wufei could enter the room.

"Hey." Wufei stepped forward and closed the door behind him. "How are you doing? I haven't seen you all day."

Duo sat down on the bed and watched his lover dig through one of the suit cases. "I've been fine, just wandering all day really." The braided man shrugged.

Wufei paused in his search and looked up. "Just fine?" He abandoned the bag and sat down next to Duo.

Duo sighed. "What do I do if he shows up Wufei?"

"You stay away from him. It's that easy. There will be plenty of people here, it should not be too difficult to keep your distance. Try not to worry about it. I do not think he will try anything with all these people here." Wufei tenderly touched Duo's cheek, looking into his eyes.

Duo nearly melted at the touch and the look in those onyx eyes. He forced a smile and nodded. The Chinese man leaned in and kissed him tenderly. The kiss did not last long but Duo was grateful for that because he didn't think he could control himself if it had deepened into anything more. The other man was soon back to searching for some lost item in his bag and Duo was standing to leave the room. Before he could leave he heard Wufei's voice call out to him.

"Don't let your guard done, Duo."

The braided man nodded his head, even though he knew the other could not see it before leaving the room to head down to the festivities. There were already many people filtering through the mansion towards the ball room as Duo made his way down the stairs. The dress ranged from suit and tie to slacks and button up shirts. Some women had dressed in long formal dresses where others had opted for something shorter but still appropriate for the gathering. Duo had been relieved when Quatre had told him that was not a black suit and tie affair because Duo hated wearing suits but he knew some people couldn't show up to a gathering like this without dressing so formally. He didn't recognize anyone as he made his way down the hallway and towards the ballroom, but that did not surprise him. Quatre knew a ridiculous amount of people and had a lot of connections. He was likely to only know a hand full of people there that evening. There was already plenty of people in the ball room, and Duo noticed at a small band at the end of the room playing soft classical music. Duo wondered over to the long table and grabbed a glass of white wine before making his way to a table at the other end of the ball room to sit and watch the room fill up.

He quickly found himself lost in this thoughts, his eyes scanning the the room constantly. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't stop worrying about Heero showing up and doing something stupid. He hated feeling weak, but he had to admit that the Japanese man was stronger then him. He slowly sipped on his wine and continued to scan the crowd. He nearly jumped out of his seat when he heard his name being shouted from only a few feet away.

"Duo!" Thin feminine arms were suddenly wrapping around him and he nearly spilled his drink on himself as well as his assailent. He tensed up, before realizing it was a women hugging him. He relaxed as the women let go of him and stepped back. He sighed in relief to see his best friend Hildie standing in front of him wearing a knee length blue strapless dress.

"Hey Hildie."

"Where did you get that?" She pointed at the wine in his hand. He pointed to the long table across the room and she disappeared only to return with two glasses in her hand. He raised an eyebrow as she sat down across from him.

"I had no idea you were going to be here," she gushed, taking a drink of one of the glasses. He had wondered who the other drink was for, but he had a strong feeling they were both for her.

"Yeah, can't say no to Quatre." Duo chuckled, taking a sip of his wine.

"I was so excited when I got my invitation in the mail. I haven't see everyone from the war in forever. I mean, I know Quatre didn't know a lot of the people I knew, but there are still some people here I know. Have you seen anyone yet?" Hildie babbled on, quickly finishing her first drink.

Duo's eyes widened. Hildie was being extremely talkative. "Honestly, no. I saw Quatre this morning though."

"Well, you don't look like you're really trying to see anyone you know," the woman gave him a stern look.

Duo shrugged. What could he say? He knew there would only be a handfull of people there that he actually knew, and of those few people it wasn't like it had been years since he had seen any of them. There was only one person he knew of that he hadn't seen in years, and he wasn't particularly interested in seeing her. He wasn't saying he wasn't happy to be there, because he appreciated Quatre inviting him. It was nice to get out of the house and see people he knew and even people he didn't know. At the same time, he didn't see the point in it.

"Hello? Earth to Duo. Are you still in there?" Hildie called, waving a hand in his face.

Duo shook his head and looked over to where his friend sat. "Sorry, spaced out there for a second."

"No problem." Hildie brought the drink to her lips and downed it before setting it down on the table gracefully. "Wanna go with me to get more to drink?" The women eyed his half finished drink. Duo looked down at it and finished it in one quick gulp.

"Sure, why not."

"Great!" They both stood up and started to make their way through the people towards the table filled with drinks and food. Once they got to the table Hildie took two more glasses of wine leaving Duo to grab his own drink. He eyed her for a moment as they stood by the table.

"Don't you think you should slow down on those, Hild?" Duo asked.

The short haired woman laughed. "Don't worry Duo. I know how to hold my alcohol. Why don't you loosen up? You look so tense."

"I'd rather keep a clear head to be honest."

Hildie shrugged. "So, want to go mingle with me?"

The idea did not sound very appealing to him. "I actually have to use the bathroom. I'll see you around though," he smiled and she gave him a grin back before they parted ways. Normally, he was all for mingling with people and talking. That was something he did well after all. His mind was distracted though, and he found he did not like the idea of having to focus on keeping up a conversation. He quickly downed his drink and found one of the elegantly dressed maids walking around handing out drinks and taking glasses to give his empty glass to. He then set off to find the restroom. There wasn't an urgent need, but he knew it wouldn't hurt to relieve himself. He made his way out of the ball room, distracted by his thoughts. He wondered where Wufei was. He hadn't seen him in the ball room, but then again there were plenty of people in there. It was possible the Chinese man was there but he had missed him. The mansion was big though, so he could be anywhere talking with high up generals or politicians.

Once out of the ballroom, Duo made his way down the hallway in the direction of the bathrooms. Most of them were on the second floor, but he knew of a set on the first floor located by the library. As he walked he noticed a handful of people in the foyer. He turned down the hallway that the bathrooms and the library were down but paused. It was oddly empty. He figured he would have at least found someone there waiting to use the restroom. He felt an uneasiness weighing on him. He stepped slowly down the hallway, trying to keep his senses about him. He was halfway down the hall when he realized how silly he must look. He shook his head and made his way further down the hallway. Before he could get to the restroom, however, there was a sound behind him that caused him to stop. He quickly turned around to find himself face to face with none other than Heero Yuy. His eyes grew wide and he took a step back.

A hand shot out and grabbed his wrist. The braided man stood paralyzed in shock. Why had he let his guard down? He should have had Hildie come with him, but even as the thought passed through his mind he brushed it away. She wouldn't have been able to help, not against Heero. But maybe it would have deterred him from doing anything. Duo wouldn't know because he had already made the mistake of venturing off alone and then down an empty hallway. His eyes darted around but there was still no one in sight. His eyes fell back on the man in front of him. Dark cobalt blue eyes glared at him causing a shiver to run up his spine.

"Hey Heero. Didn't expect to run into you here." A half smile crept onto Duo's face, but it was forced. Maybe he could talk Heero down and keep him calm. He had to do whatever it took to preserve himself. Heero couldn't control him anymore. He was a free man, he needed to remember that. But even as he thought these things, he knew he was no match for the Perfect Soldier.

The Japanese man glared at him for a moment before grabbing him by the throat and pushing him against the wall. Duo's hand shot up to grab at Heero's wrist, feeling the hand tighten around his throat. "Did you think I wouldn't find out? Did you think that you could hide your little love affair with Chang from me?" Heero growled.

Duo struggled against the other mans grasp. He could still breath, but just barely. He could not answer however, and he knew it would be a loosing battle for him if he couldn't talk Heero down.

"Is that why you left me? So you could whore yourself to him?"

The braided man clawed at the hand around his throat as it slowly tightened. He gasped for air, wishing he could talk some sense into the other man. How could he answer any of his questions in this position?

"You can't escape me Duo. You can run, and you can hide but you can't escape me. I think I need to make you understand that."

Duo's eyes widened at the realization that flooded through him. Heero was either going to kill right then and there, or he was going to beat him within an inch of his life. Neither of them sounded very appealing to Duo. He started to kick his legs in an attempt to catch the Japanese man off guard but to no avail. The other man's body was to far away. The hand tightened more, effectively cutting his air off completely. The braided man scratched at Heero's arm and kicked his legs out frantically. He was going to die. Heero was going to choke him to death right then and there and there was nothing he could do about it. He felt weak and hopeless but he couldn't stop fighting. No matter what he did he couldn't get away though, and soon blackness began to creep in on his vision. Alarms went off in his head, screaming at him but there wasn't anything he could do. He was going to die. The darkness was closing in fast and he knew in just a few quick seconds he would black out.

Suddenly, the hand around his neck was gone and he was falling to the floor. He gasped for air, his hands flying to his throat as he did so. His vison was still black, but he could hear a scuffle close by. He heard angry shouts and the sound of punches landing. The blackness began to fade and he looked up towards the sounds. What he saw filled him with a sense of relief, if only for a moment. Wufei had Heero pinned down and was throwing punches at his face, an angry look on his face. Soon there was blood covering the Japanese mans face and Duo feared that Wufei might not stop. The sound of feet running came down the hall and Duo looked to see Quatre running down the hall followed by Trowa. There were other's behind them, faces Duo recognized but the last thing he saw was Quatre and Trowa pulling Wufei off of Heero before he blacked out.

_End Chapter_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Chapter Thirteen**_

There was a pounding in Duo's head, and his lungs felt like they were on fire. His throat was sore and it hurt to swallow. Those were the first things he noticed when he finally came to. He could hear quiet voices close by but couldn't make out what they were saying. He was laying on something soft; it felt like a couch from the way the cushion pressed on one side of him but not the other. Slowly he opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. He was in the library and he was indeed laying on a couch. He looked to his right and saw Wufei and Hildie standing a few feet away talking in hushed whispers. He scanned the room, panic filling him. Where was Heero? Where had they taken him? Was he gone? Could he relax and feel safe? He started to sit up and was noticed by Wufei and Hildie. His lover was by his side in seconds, pushing him back done on the couch.

"You need to rest Duo, lay back down," Wufei pressed.

"I'm fine," Duo insisted hoarsely, fighting against the hands at his shoulders. It was no use though and he fell back on the couch begrudgingly. He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Just humor me, okay?" There was a softness in the Chinese mans eyes that broke Duo's will a little. He nodded. His attention turned away from his lover as the sound of the library doors opened loudly. He hadn't noticed Hildie leave when he had sat up, but it seems she had gone to fetch Quatre. The short blond rushed to his side and wrapped him in a tight hug.

"Thank Allah you're okay," Quatre held him for a moment before pulling away. "I'm so sorry this happened Duo! I had no idea it was so bad. I feel absolutely horrible. I should have had someone stay with you and keep an eye on you. I was so wrapped up in this party." There were tears streaming down the blonds face and Duo could see the hurt in his face."I should have seen the signs when you told me he came after you three days after you broke up with him. I'm such a horrible friend! Will you ever be able to forgive me?"

Duo smiled and pulled the Arab into a hug. "Of course Quatre. This isn't your fault anyway, please don't think it is." He winced at the sound of his voice, but continued. "I was careless and should have kept my guard up more. It's in the past now. Don't worry about it."

Quatre pulled away and looked into his eyes, tears still falling from his eyes. "But I let you get hurt. I can't stand to see you hurt. You're one of my best friends Duo. You're more then a friend, you're like a brother."

"Don't beat yourself up, Quat. I'm still alive and kickin," Duo moved to sit up.

"You need to stay laying down," Wufei growled from behind Quatre.

"Yeah, I know you said that. I feel fine, trust me." He gave his lover a pleading look and the Chinese man sighed and gave in.

Duo couldn't help but wonder how Wufei felt about it all. It wasn't anyone's fault that he had got hurt accept his own, but if anyone felt guilt he knew Wufei might. He had said he would keep him safe, and in the end he had saved his life. But why hadn't they come up with a better plan? Why had he been so careless? Why hadn't he stayed by his lovers side? Foolishness was the only thing he could think of. It didn't really matter anymore. It was done and over, and the only thing he could do is hope it didn't happen again. He wondered again where Heero was.

"Um, so what happened to Heero?" Duo asked hesitantly.

Quatre stood up and answered, "He's in the sitting room right now. We carried him there-"

"After Wufei destroyed his face," Hildie cut in, a huge grin on her face.

"Yes, and Trowa is keeping an eye on him. When I left he was unconscious."

"Oh," Duo wasn't sure what to say. He was glad they had the Japanese man on the other side of the mansion though. He had a million thoughts going through his mind, but he was oddly quiet. He looked at the others standing around him and noticed the awkwardness. "Well, you guys should go back to the party. No need to stay on my account."

"We can't just leave you here on your own, Duo." Hildie exclaimed a little too loud. Duo wondered how many more glasses of wine she had drank after he had left her.

"Well, if Heero is knocked out then I'm safe right?"

"I'll stay with Duo. You two can go back to the party." Wufei chimed in, a flat look on his face.

"Okay, stay safe you two," Quatre gave them both a concerned look before leaving the room with Hildie.

There was a long silence between the two men. Duo found himself unconsciously rubbing his neck. He knew it would be bruised but he was grateful to still be alive. At least bruises would eventually fade and could be covered. Wufei sat down next to him and placed a hand on his knee. The braided man looked at him and forced a weak smile on his face. The Chinese man furrowed his brow. Duo sighed and let the smile fall. He didn't need to fake a smile. He knew he could be open, but there was just so much going on in his head.

"Thanks, for saving my life. He didn't hurt you did he?"

"Duo, I care about you. I only wish I had done better to keep you safe. I'm sorry I was not there to stop him to begin with. He didn't hurt me. I think the reason I was able to land so many punches before I was pulled off him was because I caught him off guard. He was too focused on you."

Duo's chest tightened. He had known that the other man cared about him, but they didn't say things like that to each other. Hearing it for the first time meant a lot to him. "Don't beat yourself up. What's done is done. Now we have to deal with the problem at hand."

Wufei dropped his hand, letting it fall back to Duo's knee. "You don't have to worry about him anymore, I'm not letting you out of my sight until we get back home. We can go to Sacramento in the morning and get your stuff and then be done with it all."

"What about after that? What's going to stop him from coming back to Newark and raising hell there?" Duo stood up and began to pace around in front of the couch.

"After the number I did on his face I doubt he will want to mess with you, but if he does show up again then I plan to get the police involved and get his ass put in jail for aggravated assault. To be honest, I think we should do that now."

Duo spun around and looked at Wufei. "If you messed his face up as bad as you say then pressing charges on him right now wont go good. But I don't want to wait for him to come after me again," a strained look crossed his face.

"I know." Wufei stood and placed his hands on Duo's tense shoulders. "Try not worry about it right now, okay?"

Duo nodded his head, but he didn't feel any better about the situation. He looked up at the other man who was only a few inches taller then him and asked, "Now what do we do?"

"What do you want to do?"

Duo was exhausted, truth be told, but the idea of going to sleep scared him. At the same time, he was afraid to go out and imerse himself in the crowd. He was far to worried. What if Heero got loose from Trowa and came looking for him? Even with Wufei at his side he felt anxious about it. Not to mention he was in no shape to be mingling with people. He doubted even if he did go upstairs and attempt to rest that he would get any sleep. "To be honest, I'm exhausted."

"Then we should head upstairs and get some sleep." Wufei turned and began to head towards the library door.

"But, you aren't tired, are you?" Duo stood in place.

Wufei stopped and looked back. "Are you coming?"

Duo frowned before moving forward and following the other man out of the library and up the stairs towards their bedroom.

xxxx

That night Duo didn't sleep. He laid in bed staring off into space. Wufei had joined him and for a long time they had both laid together quietly, knowing the other was awake. Eventually the Chinese man had fallen asleep but Duo was simply too wound up to succumb to exhaustion. He couldn't stop worrying. Where was Heero? Had they let him stay the night or had he left? Duo knew he was safe with Wufei by his side, but he couldn't stop the anxiety that overwhelmed him.

The rays of sun were beginning to shine through the window shades when Duo finally admitted defeat and sat up. He looked at his sleeping lover beside him and sighed. At least someone had gotten some rest. The braided man stood and made his way to the adjoining bathroom. He definitely needed a shower. He began to strip his night clothing off and caught his reflection in the mirror over the sink. He looked horrible. There were bags under his eyes and upon closer inspection he could see the beginnings of bruises showing around his neck. He sighed. He knew in a few more days the marks would be black, blue and purple and it would not be pretty. He stepped away from the mirror and into the shower, turning the water on as hot as he could stand it. He untied his hair and threaded his fingers through it, letting the water run over his body and soak through the thick tresses. He took his time washing, letting the water work at his tense muscles. When he finished he turned off the water and wrung as much out of his hair as he could before stepping out and wrapping a towel around his waist. He took another towel and began to dry his hair. When he was satisfied he hung the towel up and left the bathroom.

The sun had made is way higher in the sky and the light was dancing on the wall as he walked into the room. He made his way around the bed and noticed his lover was awake, watching him move around the room from his position in bed. The other man was laying on his back, his arms behind his head, eyes following Duo.

"Good morning," Wufei greeted.

"Morning," Duo replied quietly. He had hoped that taking a shower would make him feel better, but it hadn't. He still felt exhausted, stressed and anxious.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" Wufei sat up and moved to sit at the end of the bed.

Duo sighed. "No." He rummaged around in his suit case and found an outfit before laying it on the bed. A second later there were arms around his waist and he jumped.

"Relax," Wufei whispered in his ear. "You are so tense, you need to calm down and relax.

Duo closed his eyes and bit his bottom lip. He wished it was that easy, but it wasn't. "I can't. I just-...I just can't." He opened his eyes as Wufei turned him around so they were facing each other.

"I realize you are dealing with a lot right now. I am here for you. I need you to trust me right now, can you do that?"

Duo nodded, worry evident in his eyes. He knew he could trust Wufei, and he had to put his faith in him but he was still anxious. "I'm sorry. This is all just getting to me. I feel so fucking weak right now."

Wufei brought a hand up to cup Duo's cheek. "You are not weak, Duo. You are strong. Look at what you have lived through. Do not even think that you are weak for one second."

"But I can't even fucking fight Heero off. I can't stop worrying about him coming after me every god damn second. He's fucking crazy!" Duo admitted. "I don't want to constantly live in fear of him!"

"Then don't." Wufei dropped his hand to Duo's bare shoulder.

"How?" Duo pulled away from his lover and sat down on the bed.

"Confront him, Duo. You cannot keep running from him. You need to stand up to him. He will not stop looking down at you until you do. He used you and abused you your entire relationship and he will continue to treat you this way until you stand up for yourself."

Duo looked up at the man standing in front of him. Wufei was right. Even when he was with Heero he had hid from him. He had showed Heero that he was weak, so of course he took advantage of it. But Duo didn't want to be viewed as weak, and he needed to stand up for himself. It was most definitely much easier said than done, but it was something he needed to do. He had been a coward to simply leave Heero while he was away and then call him some days later to break up with him. The whole thing was a mess and he had to do something to fix it and set things straight.

"He's stronger then me," Duo stated matter-of-factly.

"That may be the case, but you have to stand your ground. Plus, I will be there by your side to support you." Wufei kneeled down and placed his hands on Duo's knees. "Think you can handle it?"

Duo nodded. He had no choice. He had to do something or he would constantly live in fear and that was not something he wanted. He wanted to be happy and be free. For the first time, he hoped that Heero was still there so that he could get the whole thing over with.

_End Chapter_

**AN: I honestly never thought this story was going to end up so long. The first ten or eleven chapters were easy to write and I flew through them, but after that it has been a struggle for me. It seems my muse has abandoned me so I can only hope that this turns out okay.**


	14. Chapter 14

_**AN: Sorry this chapter took me so long to write, I have a lot going on in my life right now on top of the fact that I just couldn't find the will to write. I am also sorry that this chapter is so much shorter than the rest but I hope it's not horrible. Thanks so much for all the reviews 3**_

_**Chapter Fourteen  
**_  
It was still early morning when Duo left the bedroom, fully dressed and hair braided. Wufei was close behind him as they made their way down the stairs towards the kitchen. The smells of breakfast being cooked floated towards them, drawing them towards it. When they entered the kitchen, they saw the head cook preparing breakfast. They greeted him and headed over to the breakfast nook. Quatre and Trowa were already there waiting. The Arab man had the morning paper in his hands and he set it down when he noticed Duo and Wufei sit down.

"Good morning you guys, did you sleep well?" The blond asked with a smile on his face.

"I slept okay," Wufei responded, grabbing the napkin from the table and laying it in his lap.

"I didn't sleep at all," Duo admited, running his fingers through his bangs. Just then the cook began placing food in the middle of the table. For a few moments there was silence as they all filled their plates and began to eat. Despite his anxiety, Duo found he was famished. He dug into the food, enjoying the taste. Halfway through the meal, a thought crossed his mind. "Hey Quatre," he hesitated as the blond looked up at him. "Where is Heero?"

"Oh, he's probably in his room still. He was going to leave, but he was pretty drunk and beat up so I pushed him to stay." There was a cautious look on the blonds face, as if he knew that letting Heero stay was risky.

Duo nodded and went back to his breakfast. At least Heero was still here and he could confront him. He needed to get it done and over with quickly though, before he lost his nerve. He finished eating and looked over to his lover. He was almost finished as well so the braided man waited until he was finished. The Chinese man finished his breakfast and stood to take his dishes into the kitchen. Duo followed suit; he placed his dishes in the sink after Wufei and then looked at the other man.

"Do you want to go and talk to him right now?"

Duo nodded, a firm confidence falling upon his face.

"Okay, lets got this done then." Wufei put his hand out to gesture Duo to lead the way. It dawned on Duo in that second that he had no idea where Heero's room was, so he made his way back into the breakfast nook to ask Quatre. Once he had gathered that information, he made his way back upstairs towards the room. The entire time he was filled with a strange mix of courage and fear.

Why the hell was he so fucking afraid? He had fought in a Gundam for fucks sake! He could handle a simple talk with Heero! Too quickly they were standing in front of the doorway to Heero's room. Duo stood there, staring at the door. He was trying to gather all of his courage. _It's like facing all those mobile suits during the war. Its like facing all those Oz soldiers. Imagine you're in the war again._ He stood tall, and knocked on the door. There was a moment of silence before the door was opened to reveal an angry looking Heero.

They looked at each other for a moment before Heero looked over Duo's shoulder to eye Wufei.

"What do you want, Duo?"

_Well, he hasn't hit me yet, that's a good thing._ "We need to talk Heero."

"Okay, what do you want to talk about?" The Japanese man crossed his arms and leaned against the door way. It irritated Duo. How could he be so casual after what had happened the night before? He shrugged the feeling off and plunged forward.

"You don't own me Heero, and you can't control me anymore. I refuse to be afraid of you. You need to stay the fuck away from me because I'm done with you and all this bull shit. It's not my problem if you don't know how to deal with me leaving you - go get therapy or something. But don't take your anger out on me, because our relationship was fucked up and you know it. Yeah, I was wrong to leave you the way I did but that's in the past and you need to just move on. I sure as hell have."

He paused and Heero simply stared at him. "Is that all?"

"Yeah, leave me the fuck alone." A feeling of calm washed over Duo and he turned to walk away. Before he could get far though, Heero decided to speak up.

"Wufei isn't always going to be there to protect you, you know."

Duo spun around and spat, "I don't need him to protect me. I'm not afraid of you, I can protect myself." He spun back around and walked away. He heard Heero snort as he did but brushed it off. _Bring it on asshole, you may be stronger then me but I'll make sure I'm ready for you if you come at me again._ He didn't stop walking until he got to the room that he and Wufei shared. Once there, he leaned against the door and sighed. His lover was close behind, and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"You did good. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks," Duo sighed again. It hadn't been easy, he didn't feel nearly as strong as he had sounded. He had done it though and hopefully it was all over. Even if it wasn't, and Heero decided to come after him again he would make sure he was ready for him. He was a former Gundam Pilot after all, and he needed to start acting like one. "We should start packing so we can head out."

Wufei nodded and reached around him to open the door to their room. They both entered and began the process of packing their things. Duo felt relaxed as he packed, more relaxed then he had in a long time. He knew that Heero was crazy, and he knew there was the possibility that he would always have to deal with him, but he felt he could handle it. He was more confident about it then he had ever been, and he knew he could face the problem head on. He had Wufei by his side and he wasn't going to give up and let Heero get to him. He had decided that he wasn't going to live his life in fear anymore.

_End Story_


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